Artificial intelligence is being hailed as a potential game-changer in prenatal care, cutting down the time it takes to identify foetal abnormalities by almost half, according to a groundbreaking new study.
Researchers at King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust found as well as being faster, AI is just as accurate as traditional methods, offering the potential to revolutionise the 20-week scan.
The technology, tested in the first trial of its kind, could significantly reduce scan times, easing anxiety for expectant parents and freeing up sonographers to focus on potential problem areas.
Published in NEJM AI and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study revealed AI scans were 42 per cent faster than standard scans.
The key to the AI’s speed and accuracy lies in its ability to take thousands of snapshots of each foetal measurement, compared to the three typically taken by a sonographer.
The AI also proved more reliable than human sonographers in taking these crucial measurements.
This improved accuracy offers the potential for earlier detection of potential issues, allowing medical professionals to intervene sooner if required.
The AI tool was also found to alter the way in which the scan is performed, as sonographers no longer needed to pause, save images or measure during the scan.
The trial focused on looking for heart problems but the researchers said the AI can help with looking for any abnormality.
The new work included 78 pregnant women and 58 sonographers.
Each pregnant woman was scanned twice, once using the AI-assisted scanner and once without the use of AI.
Dr Thomas Day, lead author of the study, said: “Understandably, this 20-week scan can be a nerve-wracking time for parents as they’re finding out the health of their unborn child.
“Our research has shown that AI-assisted scans are accurate, reliable and more efficient.
“We hope that using AI in these scans will free up precious time for sonographers to focus on patient care, making the experience more comfortable and reassuring for parents.”
Ashleigh Louison, a 36-year-old senior operations manager from northwest London, was one of those in the trial at St Thomas’ Hospital.
During her pregnancy, her son Lennox was diagnosed with heart disease. He needed lifesaving surgery within two weeks of his birth.
She said: “Receiving an early diagnosis for Lennox was really important as it meant we could properly plan the road ahead.
“We immediately knew that he would likely need open heart surgery and that we would be staying in hospital for a few weeks after his birth.
“This gave us the chance to physically and mentally prepare for what was coming.
“I am so glad to have participated in this trial as I want to support anything that can help save children’s lives through faster and earlier diagnoses of conditions.
“I know that some conditions can be hard to spot and so I’m excited at the prospect of using new technology that can help address this.
“If my participation in this trial ends up helping even just one family, then I’m all for it.”
The AI tool is now being rolled out more widely through a company called Fraiya – a University-NHS spinout company from King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital.
Experts are also planning a larger trial.
Professor Mike Lewis, NIHR scientific director, said: “The use of AI in healthcare has huge potential to impact patient care while saving time and money.”
