Continuous sensing and quantification of body motion in infants: A systematic review

Zheng Peng1,2, Deedee Kommers1,3, Rong-Hao Liang4,5

  • 1Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

Heliyon
|July 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Continuous infant motion quantification using various sensing technologies can improve vital sign monitoring and aid in diagnosing infant complications, addressing gaps in current clinical observation methods.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Clinical Monitoring

Background:

  • Abnormal infant body motion can indicate neurodevelopmental delay or critical illness.
  • Current infant monitoring relies on discrete clinical observations, leaving infants unattended.
  • Continuous monitoring of infant body motion is needed to fill this observational gap.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and compare sensing technologies for continuous infant body motion quantification.
  • To evaluate the pros and cons of different sensing technologies in clinical applications.
  • To highlight the clinical value and future prospects of infant motion monitoring.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method.
  • Introduction and comparison of various sensing technologies for infant motion quantification.
  • Discussion of clinical applications, advantages, and disadvantages of each technology.

Main Results:

  • Identified and compared multiple sensing technologies suitable for infant motion quantification.
  • Evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of each technology for clinical use.
  • Highlighted the potential benefits of continuous motion monitoring for infant care.

Conclusions:

  • Motion quantification offers significant clinical value in diagnosing infant complications.
  • Continuous infant motion monitoring can enhance the performance of vital sign monitoring systems.
  • Recommendations are provided for clinical users to implement motion quantification technologies.