A machine-washable, smart jumpsuit can now track the development of babies by monitoring their movement, and by spotting any potential mobility issues with them.

The jumpsuit has four battery-operated sensors attached to the arms and legs to collect data and relay it to a nearby phone using Bluetooth or data. The data is then saved and logged in an app on the phone, which can be later analyzed by the doctors. It’s designed for infants born with complications and having a risk of developing disabilities, such as cerebral palsy.

On monitoring their movements, doctors can provide proper treatment on time. Thus, minimizing the impact of their condition on their life by preventing problems from getting worse over time.

The research was conducted by Sampsa Vanhatalo at the Helsinki Children’s Hospital in Finland and his colleagues on 22 babies in the age group of about four months to eight months. The movements of these babies were also later analyzed by three researchers. Each baby was let to play for half an hour to an hour, wearing the suit. A physiotherapist engaged them to ensure they tried different moves and postures, like crawling on all fours and sitting straight.

The sessions were also video recorded simultaneously, for the researchers to double-check with the log of the jumpsuit and to find the link between both. An algorithm was developed from the jumpsuit information to understand the infants’ movements and posture. And according to the New Scientist reports, the algorithm was able to sense their position, such as sitting straight, 90% of the time. Their movements recorded correctly 60% of the time, which was described as 'moderate' success by the academics.

Their report says, “We developed a novel annotation scheme to classify infant postures and movements into a number of key categories, and demonstrated how an automatic classifier can reach human-like consistency in movement and posture recognition.”

Professor Vanhatalo, the corresponding author of the paper, said they would conduct the next study of the jumpsuit on 50 babies. This hi-tech jumpsuit that can be washed at 40°C (104°F), and as comfortable as a swimsuit, is yet to be made available in the market. But when it is, each jumpsuit’s cost in the region is estimated to be $30-$200 (£23-£154).

There can be multiple reasons for motor delays in babies, which can leave them with floppy or stiff limbs, and the inability to stand. Preemies muscles’ may not develop at the same rate as other children. And babies who had a deficiency of oxygen at the time of birth, known as asphyxia, may have a risk of long-term disabilities and developmental delays.

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They include cerebral palsy, which can leave sufferers wheelchair-bound with weak legs or random jerking movements. The symptoms may show up any time from infancy to age two, at times, causes a delay in treatment too. But if the technology succeeds, it can help to detect the infants requiring treatment at the earliest.