‘AI twice as fast at detecting fetal problems’

Artificial intelligence can help detect fetal abnormalities from pregnancy scans nearly twice as quickly but with the same accuracy, according to the results of a UK trial published Thursday.

The trial which included 78 pregnant women and 58 sonographers focused on looking for heart problems in the 20-week scans, but researchers said the AI could look for any abnormality.

It was also more reliable and 42 percent quicker than humans when it came to taking fetal measurements, with sonographers no longer needing to pause, measure and save images during the scan.

"Our research has shown that AI-assisted scans are accurate, reliable and more efficient," said lead author Thomas Day.

"We hope that using AI in these scans will free up precious time for sonographers to focus on patient care, making the experience more comfortable and reassuring for parents," he added.

The trial, published in the journal NEJM AI, was led by King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

Ashleigh Louison was one of the pregnant women involved in the trial, which detected heart disease in her unborn son Lennox.

"Receiving an early diagnosis for Lennox was really important as it meant we could properly plan the road ahead," she said.

"I know that some conditions can be hard to spot and so I'm excited at the prospect of using new technology that can help address this."

The tool is now being rolled out more widely in a number of London hospitals.