Technology helps keep Townsville mums and bubs safe

A new digital fetal monitoring system is helping to protect the health of mums and babies at Mater Mothers’ Private Townsville.

The real-time fetal heart rate recordings from the K2 Guardian system can be accessed remotely by obstetricians in the hospital, in their rooms, or on their mobile devices – as well as by specialists at Mater Mothers’ Hospitals in South Brisbane.

A new study conducted by Mater Mothers’ own clinician-researchers has found that introduction of the INFANT technology  has been associated with a  reduction in serious adverse events in labour , such as the admission of a new baby to intensive care, by 43%.

Mater Mothers’ in South Brisbane was the first hospital in Australia to install the INFANT technology as an add-in to the K2 Guardian system in 2018.  INFANT helps doctors and midwives interpret the pattern of fetal heart rate recordings and report on the well-being of babies in labour.  

Townsville obstetrician Dr Renee Verkuijl said: “This is an important advance for maternity services at Mater Townsville.

“The system provides computer interpretation of fetal heart rate monitoring during labour and this information can be accessed in real-time on devices outside the delivery room.

“This technology makes childbirth safer for mums and babies by supporting clinicians’ interpretation of the fetal heart rate recordings, as Mater’s research has demonstrated.”

The Mater Research study examined the experience of more than 11,000 mothers before and after the introduction of the INFANT technology at Mater Mothers Hospitals Brisbane.  

Following the merger of Queensland Mater hospitals into a single Mater entity last year, the fetal heart recordings of babies in labour in Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Redland, can also be seen by Australia’s top obstetrics specialists at the Mater Mothers’ Hospitals in Brisbane – although their input has not yet been required by Townsville patients.

“Mater Mothers’ Private Townsville is committed to matching the very best care with the most advanced technology,” Mater Mothers’ Townsville Executive Officer Libbie Linley said.

“This technology gives our clinical team a fantastic tool and it gives mums and families important extra reassurance too.”