Smart wearable belt for monitoring pregnant women

Pregnant women face increasing health problems globally. Especially in underdeveloped or developing countries, neonatal and maternal mortality rates are increasing. Timely medical intervention is crucial in reducing these problems. The standard technique for monitoring pregnancy, the cardiotocograph (CTG), has disadvantages such as periodic check-ups and high costs. Many hospitals, especially in rural Africa and Asia, cannot afford CTG. This thesis study aims to detect abnormalities in the expectant mother, especially in the last stages of pregnancy, regarding body temperature, heart rate, blood sugar, and contractions leading to birth. The proposed system is a portable electronic pregnancy monitoring device that eliminates the need for external clinicians for home use. Home use of the device is expected to reduce the frequency of hospital visits, resulting in significant cost savings in fetal/pregnancy monitoring, while improving the overall quality of care for pregnant women. This thesis work contributes to the remote monitoring of pregnant women before birth, as well as making it more accessible and more susceptible to complications. Pregnant women around the world can benefit from improved monitoring and reduced healthcare costs. The proposed system is in line with global efforts to improve maternal and newborn health. The ability of pregnant women to monitor themselves and their babies without visiting a physician is an important step towards more inclusive healthcare. The system proposed in this thesis further technologically enriches the healthy prenatal mother-baby-doctor cycle. The developed wearable system also contributes to important paradigm shifts in maternal-infant health applications