A Smart Monitoring System for Self-Nutrition Management in Pediatric Patients with Inherited Metabolic Disorders:...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry and Genetics
• Medical Informatics
• Pediatric Nutrition

Background:

• Metabolic disorders, such as Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD), stem from genetic mutations causing enzyme deficiencies and metabolism issues.
• MSUD is a prevalent and severe hereditary metabolic disorder in Saudi Arabia, posing significant dietary management challenges for patients and families.
• Current dietary management relies on complex menus and food labels, making accurate tracking difficult and burdensome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a prototype smart plate system designed to assist patients with MSUD and their caregivers in managing the disease-specific diet.
• To provide a technological support tool for self-nutrition management in pediatric MSUD patients through knowledge-based systems and food identification.

Main Methods:

• System requirements were gathered using questionnaires.
• A prototype system was designed, comprising a mobile application (software) and a 3D-modeled plate (hardware).
• The mobile application integrates knowledge bases, databases, inference engines, food recognition capabilities, food planning, and monitoring features.

Main Results:

• The smart plate system, connected to a mobile application, was found to be helpful by patients for tracking and recording their daily food intake.
• The developed system offers a more pleasant, effortless, accurate, and intelligent approach to dietary self-management compared to traditional paper records.

Conclusions:

• The smart plate system shows promise as a valuable tool for improving dietary adherence and management in pediatric MSUD patients.
• This technology can empower patients and support healthcare professionals in achieving sustainable dietary management outcomes for metabolic disorders.