Mumbai: In a recently uploaded video, technology giant Samsung introduced an new app that lets pre-mature babies hear their mother’s voice and heartbeat, which helps them in brain development and growth.
According to the video, as many as 15 million pre-mature babies are born every year, and a lot of mothers go through excessive emotional trauma as they are not allowed to hold their babies till they mature.
The World health Organisation (WHO) defines premature babies as born 37 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. According to an article that appeared on Times of India last year, doctors from Mumbai said that every third child born in India is premature.
Also, statistics provided by NNF and the Indian Foundation of Premature Babies showed that 25 per cent of all neonatal deaths occur in India.
In such a scenario, it becomes very important for mothers to provide utmost care for their babies but keeping the babies away from the mother for the first few weeks due to complexities can cause major illness or even death.
Even if they escape death, there is a high chance that the baby might develop language and attention deficits.
Well, Samsung’s new app, dubbed Voices of Life, will make sure that pre-mature babies don’t lose out on the nurturing sounds of the womb, which is very important for brain and overall health development.
The app uses a mother’s voice and heartbeat to help a preemie’s brain develop and grow properly. Using a smartphone, mothers can sit at home, record their heartbeats, voices, and even sing lullabies. All these sounds will be played back in the incubator.
According to Amir Lahav, an assistant professor of Paediatrics featured in the video, explained that the app has two primary benefits: its helps the mothers of pre-mature babies stay with them virtually, and it helps the baby by providing the internal sound they need for healthy brain development.
