A new study shows that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help doctors find serious heart problems in unborn babies faster and more accurately. This could improve newborn survival rates.
Researchers tested AI on prenatal ultrasound scans and found that it detected heart defects better than doctors working alone. The findings were shared on Thursday at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine meeting in Denver.
“AI-based software helped both general OB-GYNs and specialists detect possible heart defects more accurately,” said lead researcher Dr. Jennifer Lam-Rachlin. “This could change medical practices and improve newborn health.”
Heart defects are common in babies, with 1 in 4 needing surgery or treatment within their first year. Prenatal ultrasounds can help detect these problems early, but many are reviewed by doctors without specialized training.
“In the U.S., at least half of prenatal ultrasounds are examined by non-specialists, which lowers the chances of detecting heart defects,” Lam-Rachlin explained.
The study involved 14 doctors from different experience levels who reviewed 200 ultrasound scans from 11 hospitals. Sometimes, they used AI for assistance, and sometimes they didn’t.
The results showed that AI improved doctors’ ability to find suspicious heart defects. It also made them more confident and helped them analyze scans faster.
Source: thenews
