Summary of our success

The product of over fifteen years of pioneering work, aided by funding from Action Medical Research, is about to reach the unborn babies who need it most. Shocking statistics show that as many as 10 babies are stillborn in the UK every day. Now, a team of engineers and doctors at The University of Nottingham have developed a novel device that can help babies while they are still in the womb. The monitor lets doctors read signals produced naturally by an unborn baby's heart. By interpreting these messages, doctors will be able to identify potential problems. They can then intervene if necessary, to prevent harm to babies, and potentially save their lives. Remarkably, through the University's commercial partner, Monica Healthcare Ltd, this innovative technology has been packaged into a portable piece of equipment the size of a small mobile phone.

For Action Medical Research, this advance builds on the Charity's history of supporting research that helps protect pregnancy, including the development of the medical use of ultrasound scanning in the 1970s. The researchers believe this new fetal heart monitor has the potential to benefit the 10% of unborn babies who are most at risk, a staggering 70,000 babies a year in the UK.