Virtual reality is helping babies breathe thanks to a project from Seattle Children’s and Oxford
As a neonatologist at Seattle Children’s, Dr. Rachel Umoren knows that every second counts when a baby is born and doesn’t breathe or cry. If a caregiver doesn’t act fast, the result can be death or brain damage.
“It’s a staggering problem,” said Umoren, noting that each year 280,000 babies die of birth asphyxia in sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, the condition is responsible for 23 percent of all newborn deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
The medical world’s answer to the problem is Helping Babies Breathe (HBB), a set of techniques that can reduce neonatal mortality by 47 percent, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Electronic versions of HBB already exist, but they require a computer with an internet connection. The VR solution was designed to run locally on a smartphone, making it portable, more interactive and potentially cheaper than a web-based program.
See the full story here: https://www.geekwire.com/2019/virtual-reality-helping-babies-breathe-thanks-project-seattle-childrens-oxford/