"Smart" pacifier could improve care of premature babies in NICU
By
Mallika Marshall, MD
/ CBS Boston
BOSTON -- Babies who are in the neonatal intensive care unit or NICU are at risk for dehydration and electrolyte imbalances and are therefore often subjected to blood draws multiple times a day.
Researchers at Washington State University are testing a "smart" pacifier that when in a baby's mouth can sample the saliva and continuously monitor sodium and potassium levels. It then sends the information wirelessly to a caregiver.
Initial studies find the data from the pacifier tracks closely with data obtained from blood tests. Scientists now want to make the device more affordable and recyclable and test it on a large scale.
Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.