Handheld Skin Scanner Could Reveal a Baby's True Gestational Age in

Researchers have released the full protocol for the APPLE study, a multicenter prospective cohort aiming to validate a handheld optical device called PreemieTest that estimates a newborn’s gestational age within 24 to 48 hours of life. The work, published in BMC Pediatrics, is designed to reduce a major gap in neonatal care: in many places, caregivers don’t know how premature a baby is, and that uncertainty can affect early respiratory management. The device relies on optical readings of skin reflectance, based on the non-linear, predictable maturation of fetal skin during pregnancy. In Brazil and Honduras, sites including hospitals in Manaus, Belo Horizonte, Mato Grosso do Sul and Tegucigalpa will enroll newborns. The study is led by Roberta Lins Gonçalves of the Federal University of Amazonas.