Sensors on which the life of babies depends

Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine disrupted and negatively affected thousands of critically important processes, including childbearing and childbirth. Thousands of children are born prematurely due to the stress of expectant mothers, while the total number of births in Ukraine has decreased sharply.

Premature birth often causes health problems for women in a hurry, and sometimes even poses a mortal threat, especially if the baby was born at a very early stage of gestation and with a critically low birth weight of between 500 grams and up to 1.5 kg. But doctors successfully treat even such babies thanks to their experience and the availability of high-quality medical equipment.

Premature babies need constant medical monitoring of vital body functions. The concentration of oxygen in the blood, its saturation, has a decisive influence on the stability of the internal organs, the state of the cardiovascular system, the general ability of the body to work and self-recovery. Premature babies often have breathing delays (apnea), which can lead to death. The pulse oximeter signals respiratory arrest, so medics can quickly respond and, in case of emergency, resuscitate the baby. With the help of a pulse oximeter, the condition of premature babies who are in the incubator is monitored, so that excess oxygen does not harm the lungs or retina of the newborn.

A children's pulse oximeter differs from an adult's in the size or design of the sensor, which does not squeeze the blood vessels when it is on the hand for a long time, since the process of exiting can take a long time. It is these sensors that fail faster than other equipment, and without them, even the best device remains "blind and deaf" to the demands of a small patient. And it is this device that gives us the opportunity to save not only life, but also the fragile health of a newborn child.

The goal of our project is to purchase 5 sensors for Masimo RAD-8 pulse oximeters in the neonatal and post-intensive care department of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Perinatal Center* so that every child has a chance for a healthy and happy future.

Help doctors save children's lives!

*Full name of the medical institution: Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Perinatal Center of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council, a municipal non-profit enterprise.