Smart Jumpsuit monitors the neurological development of infants
The Finnish research team at the Helsinki Children’s Hospital’s BABA Center has created a unique baby clothing for the consistent assessment of motor skills at an early stage of development.
The intelligent jumpsuit, called the MAIJU (Motor Assessment of Infants with a Jumpsuit), is a wearable medical device equipped with multiple motion sensors to help assess and evaluate children’s neurological development.
In their most recent study, the group measured babies aged 5 to 19 months using a MAIJU coverall during unplanned play, typically in a child’s home environment.
At the beginning of the study, the movements and postures of the babies were visually detected on videotape using a mobility imaging system developed exclusively for this study. This information was then used to teach an algorithm based on machine learning that identifies the same movements and postures every second of each child’s playing time with an accuracy equivalent to a visual assessment by a skilled expert.
The development of the MAIJU wearable product required a technical breakthrough in the development of machine learning algorithms for this purpose. This was achieved by combining a new kind of mobility imaging with state-of-the-art in-depth learning solutions.
Dr. Manu Airaksinen, Postdoctoral Researcher and Director of Technical Development, BABA Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
New methods for studying neurological development
The MAIJU coverall and related analytical solutions enable both the assessment and monitoring of a child’s motor maturation with unparalleled accuracy. This progress can be manipulated in a number of ways, such as in early clinical trials and other developmental evaluations. It also makes it possible to calculate efficacy in various medical therapies and treatments.
Our research shows that it is very possible to assess a baby’s motor development outside a hospital or specialty laboratory facility. A particular advantage of the MAIJU methodology is that it allows us to make developmental assessments in a child’s natural environment, such as at home or in kindergarten.
Sampsa Vanhatalo, Professor of Physiology, University of Helsinki
Vanhatalo is also a consultant in clinical neurophysiology at the Helsinki Children’s Clinic. Helsinki University Hospital.
“Such methods are urgently needed to support research into early neurological development and new therapeutic innovations,” confirms Leena Haataja, Professor of Pediatric Neurology.
Earlier detection of neurodevelopmental delays and related challenges can better support a child’s future development and lifelong neurocognitive performance.
Children move to learn
It is now generally accepted that the motor development of a young child is not independent of all other neurocognitive development. The child’s strong natural desire to move has arisen from a clear necessity: the child needs to move around a lot to gain experience and learn from his or her immediate environment.
It is therefore important to encourage children to move as naturally as possible and as much as possible in everyday situations.
Leena Haataja, Professor of Pediatric Neurology, Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
A child with motor or other neurological difficulties needs special treatment or support, which would ideally work best if they are part of the child’s daily life and environment. The MAIJU smart coverall is promising to find better therapeutic approaches in such situations and to evaluate the effectiveness of such treatments.
New applications for wearable clothing
Designing a smart wearable device for medical use is usually a more difficult challenge than commercializing a consumer product. The Old House feels that the development of products that can be worn through their fruitful work has a broad global impact and an optimistic future.
“Our methods can be automated and scaled for very wide use. It is also possible that our technology could be adapted to develop wearable solutions to help other patient groups, such as older children or even the elderly.
Journal reference:
Airaksinen, M., et al. (2022) Smart wear allows a baby to develop motor skills outside the laboratory. Communication medicine. doi.org/10.1038/s43856-022-00131-6.
Source: https://www.helsinki.fi