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Updated: Dec 25, 2025
An Application for Pairing with Wearable Devices to Monitor Personal Health Status
Published on: February 3, 2022
NeoSTRESS: Study of Transfer and Retrieval Environmental StressorS Upon Neonates via a Smartphone Application-Light
Deborah Gilmour1, Khoi M Duong2, Ian J Gilmour3
1Department of Neonatology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Queensland, Australia; School of Clinical Medicine, Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Objective:
This study aimed to measure the light levels neonates would be exposed to during retrieval, determine whether this varied with transport mode, and compare them with recommended light exposure in neonatal intensive care units. We also aimed to determine the ease of use and acceptability of using the smartphone application.
Setting:
A neonatal retrieval service in Brisbane, Australia.
Methods:
This prospective study used the calibrated smartphone application Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite (Vieyra Software, Washington, DC). Data were collected during the outbound, nonpatient leg of 45 retrievals (25 road, 11 fixed wing aircraft, and 9 rotary aircraft journeys). Data were saved to Cloud storage and then analyzed using the PostgreSQL database.
Results:
The median illuminance was 6 lux (interquartile range [IQR], 1-58). The maximum recorded was 93,842 lux. The median illuminance during daytime journeys was 15 lux (IQR, 2-77). The median light level for night journeys was 1 lux (IQR, 0.5-8). Illuminance exceeded the recommended level (600 lux) for 2.1% of all journey time.
Conclusion:
Retrieved neonates can be exposed to light in excess of recommended neonatal intensive care unit levels, including extremely bright light. It is feasible, with good staff acceptability, for a calibrated smartphone application to be used in place of a light meter.
