Mobil Monitoring Doppler Ultrasound (MoMDUS) study: protocol for a prospective, observational study investigating the use of artificial intelligence and low-cost Doppler ultrasound for the automated quantification of hypertension, pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction in rural Guatemala

Abstract

Introduction: Undetected high-risk conditions in pregnancy are a leading cause of perinatal mortality in low-income and middle-income countries. A key contributor to adverse perinatal outcomes in these settings is limited access to high-quality screening and timely referral to care. Recently, a low-cost one-dimensional Doppler ultrasound (1-D DUS) device was developed that front-line workers in rural Guatemala used to collect quality maternal and fetal data. Further, we demonstrated with retrospective preliminary data that 1-D DUS signal could be processed using artificial intelligence and deep-learning algorithms to accurately estimate fetal gestational age, intrauterine growth and maternal blood pressure. This protocol describes a prospective observational pregnancy cohort study designed to prospectively evaluate these preliminary findings.

Methods and analysis: This is a prospective observational cohort study conducted in rural Guatemala. In this study, we will follow pregnant women (N =700) recruited prior to 18 6/7 weeks gestation until their delivery and early postpartum period. During pregnancy, trained nurses will collect data on prenatal risk factors and obstetrical care. Every 4 weeks, the research team will collect maternal weight, blood pressure and 1-D DUS recordings of fetal heart tones. Additionally, we will conduct three serial obstetric ultrasounds to evaluate for fetal growth restriction (FGR), and one postpartum visit to record maternal blood pressure and neonatal weight and length. We will compare the test characteristics (receiver operator curves) of 1-D DUS algorithms developed by deep-learning methods to two-dimensional fetal ultrasound survey and published clinical pre-eclampsia risk prediction algorithms for predicting FGR and pre-eclampsia, respectively.

Ethics and dissemination: Results of this study will be disseminated at scientific conferences and through peer-reviewed articles. Deidentified data sets will be made available through public repositories. The study has been approved by the institutional ethics committees of Maya Health Alliance and Emory University.

Keywords: Fetal medicine; Health informatics; OBSTETRICS; PAEDIATRICS.