Weighing the newborn before and after each feeding or relying on subjective sensations: these are the methods that have accompanied breastfeeding for centuries, with all the uncertainties that come with it. It is practically the only Achilles heel of this natural process: yet it weighs, so much so that many mothers, especially those with premature babies, abandon it early for fear that the baby is not getting enough nourishment.
Breastfeeding is also a challenge for pediatricians who follow newborns, especially the most fragile ones: but technology is about to radically change this scenario.
The real problem of breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is undoubtedly the ideal form of nutrition for the newborn. As mentioned, however, one of the major obstacles that mothers encounter is the impossibility of knowing with certainty how much nutrition the baby is actually receiving.
Traditional solutions, such as weighing the baby before and after feeding, require a highly sensitive scale and are quite uncomfortable, especially when the newborn is uncooperative. The alternative of expressing milk with a breast pump and then administering it via bottle causes the loss of that precious skin-to-skin contact between mother and child, which is essential for the emotional and physical development of both. So what?
The technological solution
The new device developed by the Professor John A. Rogers' team at Northwestern University elegantly solves this problem. It is a sensor soft and comfortable that wraps around the breast while the mother breastfeeds, connected to a base module positioned above the breast itself.
The operating principle is really simple: the device passes a very weak electric current through the breast, measuring the variations in electrical impedance due to the decrease in the volume of milk present in the breast tissue during feeding. This technology, called bioimpedance, is the same used by some electronic scales to measure the percentage of body fat, but here it is applied in an innovative way.
The data collected is transmitted in real time to an app on the mother's smartphone, so she can see exactly how many milliliters of milk her baby is taking in during breastfeeding, moment by moment. Calibrating the device is also simple: just use it once while expressing milk in a graduated container to establish the correlation between impedance variation and the volume of milk expressed.
Results and future prospects
In tests conducted on 12 mothers for periods of up to 17 weeks, the technology proved to be extremely accurate in measuring infant milk intake. According to the Professor Rogers, “this technology eliminates uncertainty, offering a convenient and reliable way to monitor milk intake in real time, both in the hospital and at home.”
Scientists are now exploring ways to use the same system to also measure how quickly the breasts refill with milk and assess its quality. In the future, this technology could be integrated into garments such as nursing bras, making monitoring even more discreet and convenient.
I particularly like the positive impact that this research has published in Nature and this device could have a positive impact on mothers' mental health, reducing anxiety and increasing confidence in their ability to breastfeed. Sometimes, technology can really make a difference in supporting the most natural processes of life.
Breastfeeding: A Real Need
The importance of breastfeeding is widely recognized by the scientific community. As reported by different sources, the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the sixth month of life and recommends continuing until two years of age, gradually integrating it with other foods.
Breast milk is not just nourishment, but a real liquid tissue containing stem cells, immune cells, hormones and growth factors essential for the development of the child. According to the research, the intestinal microbiota of breastfed infants presents peculiar characteristics that are fundamental for the correct development of the immune system.
Technology at the service of motherhood
The device designed by Northwestern University is part of a larger technological revolution in the field of maternity. Professor Rogers is not new to these innovations: in the past he has developed wireless sensors to monitor newborns in neonatal intensive care units, eliminating the need for annoying wires and allowing for better skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby.
The idea for this new device was born from a collaboration between Rogers and neonatologists at Lurie Children's Hospital, who identified breastfeeding monitoring as a critical unmet need. As Dr. daniel robinson, a neonatologist at Northwestern Medicine and co-author of the study,
“Nutrition uncertainty can cause stress for families, especially for mothers with preterm babies in the neonatal intensive care unit.”
Impact on the healthcare system
The benefits of this technology go beyond the psychological comfort of mothers. The device can provide valuable data for healthcare professionals, enabling more accurate monitoring of infant feeding, especially the most vulnerable. Pediatricians will be able to base their recommendations on objective data, rather than rough estimates.
Furthermore, since early breastfeeding abandonment is often linked to maternal anxiety and uncertainty, a tool that provides objective data could help increase breastfeeding rates, with consequent public health benefits.
In an age where technology is increasingly present in our lives, it is refreshing to see innovations that support fundamental natural processes like breastfeeding, rather than replacing them. This device proves it: technology, when well designed, can enhance and facilitate the human experience, rather than separate us from our nature.
