Woman gets fetal monitoring
IN PHOTO: Nayna Patel, an Indian gynaecologist, carries out an ultrasound examination on Shabnam, a surrogate mother, at Patel's clinic in Anand in the western Indian state of Gujarat March 4, 2009. At the clinic of Nayna Patel, perhaps India's best-known "surrogate doctor" who delivered Anand town's first surrogate baby, more women are signing up to be surrogates, with even nurses and teachers lining up, as their husbands lose their jobs. The women who come here usually want the money to buy a home, pay off loans, or for their childrens' college education," said Patel in her small clinic, the walls of which are covered With clippings and pictures of Patel with babies and parents. Picture taken March 4, 2009. Reuters/Arko Datta

An Australian-developed heart monitor is found to be capable of detecting pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, and the device can function as early as five weeks into pregnancy. The published study from the Journal of Pregnancy Hypertension has found that Uscom heart monitor is able to detect changes in the circulatory system caused by pre-eclampsia.

Uscom chief executive Rob Phillips said that the results of the study on USCOM 1A can make pregnancies safer. "This is the first study to prove that USCOM 1A measurements detect changes in cardiovascular function long before they are detected by simple blood pressure monitors," he said on Tuesday in a report from SBS. USCOM 1A is currently used by doctors as a heart monitor to detect problems of the cardiovascular system.

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that commonly occurrs during pregnancy and is characterised by high blood pressure and presence of protein in urine. The cause for such condition is unknown but it is life-threatening for both mother and fetus.

According to the statistics by the Preeclampsia Foundation, 15 percent of premature births in industrialised nations are caused by eclampsia. If left undetected and untreated, pre-eclampsia can progress to eclampsia , which is considered as one of the top five causes of death of mother and infant.

Pre-eclampsia is traditionally detected using urine tests and blood pressure monitoring after hitting the 20th week of pregnancy. But with the heart monitor, early detection is possible and pregnant women could find out ahead if they are at risk for developing the condition.

Phillips also said that USCOM 1A would change the way medical professionals deal with hypertension and other cardiovascular problems. Uscom hopes to reach million-dollar markets if the device can also be used for routine assessment of pregnant women.

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