AI can be trained to detect lung disease in premature babies, research suggests

Medical Xpress September 9, 2024
European Respiratory Society

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) can be trained to detect lung disease in premature babies by analyzing their breathing patterns while they sleep, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria.

The study was presented by Edgar Delgado-Eckert, adjunct professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Basel, and a research group leader at the University Children’s Hospital, Switzerland.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a breathing problem that can affect premature babies. When a newborn’s lungs are undeveloped at birth, they often need support from a ventilator or oxygen therapy—treatment which can stretch and inflame their lungs, causing BPD.