Listening to a Fetus's Heartbeat

A device the size of an iPod could give women with high-risk pregnancies a way to monitor the health of the fetus.

Discerning the heartbeat of a baby still in the womb is a bit like making out a murmur in a crowded room. However, researchers at the University of Nottingham have designed a fetal heart monitor that can accurately distinguish a fetus's heart rate from its mother's and from surrounding noises. What's more, they've made the device noninvasive, small, and easy to use in the home. Scientists have also enabled the monitor to transmit heart-rate data to the Internet, where doctors can remotely analyze and watch particularly high-risk pregnancies.

» Technology Review » Monica Healthcare