Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health

Terry Ferrari of World Vision will field test in central Mozambique two mobile phone modules that prompt community health workers caring for pregnant women and newborns to assess, to take action, and to refer care in cases of complications and emergencies. Data gathered from this study will help refine the modules and inform plans to scale up the program to other districts.

Mahua Choudhury of University of Colorado in the U.S. will develop a database of epigenetic signatures, changes in DNA and proteins caused by non-genetic factors such as poor nutrition, smoking and environmental contaminants, that could be used as predictors of pre-eclampsia. This information will be used to develop a cost- effective diagnostic tool to detect these markers in blood or urine.

Melissa J. Moore of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and S. Ananth Karumanchi of Harvard Medical School in the U.S. propose to develop siRNA- based therapies to silence genes in the placenta which produce excess proteins that cause preeclampsia. Temporarily silencing these genes can prolong pregnancy and protect the life of both infant and mother. In Phase I, they demonstrated that siRNAs can be delivered to the placenta, and those designed to target the mouse versions of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1) could safely decrease protein levels in pregnant mice.

Robert Garfield of St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona in the U.S. will develop a compact, battery-powered device to electrically stimulate uterine contraction and prevent profuse bleeding following childbirth. The instrument could be used by any individual to reduce life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage in hospitals and in remote areas where prompt action is necessary.

Scott Sullivan of the Medical University of South Carolina in the U.S. will build and test a vaginal insert for the prevention of preterm delivery. The device would mechanically support the cervix and dispense medication that would reduce preterm birth risk. It would be inexpensive, small, storage stable, re-usable and easily self-inserted.

Mark Hauswald, Nancy Kerr, and David Wachter of Global Health Partnerships and the University of New Mexico in the U.S. will work with care providers in Nepal to evaluate their use and acceptance of inexpensive devices constructed of local materials that decrease blood flow to the pelvic organs for treating post-partum hemorrhage, a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the developing world.

Toby Freyman of Arsenal Medical, Inc. in the U.S. proposes to develop a hemostatic foam device that can be delivered into the uterus to control bleeding following childbirth. Success in this effort will significantly reduce maternal death in the developing world by providing an effective yet simple and inexpensive medical device that is compatible with existing infrastructure.

Noune Sarvazyan and a team at Artann Laboratories in the U.S. will develop a hand-held ultrasonic device for noninvasive measurement of soft tissue water content to assess dehydration in newborns. Dehydration is one of the leading causes of infant morbidity and mortality.

Karen Wu of Lucerna, Inc. in the U.S. seeks to develop a portable fluorescence-based device for the rapid detection of procalcitonin (PCT), a biomarker of early sepsis. An inexpensive, simple to use and highly durable device can aid in the early detection of neonatal sepsis, a major cause of infant mortality in developing countries.

John Wyatt of Power-free Education and Technology in South Africa will develop a durable, low-cost pulse oximetry probe for use with a "wind-up" pulse oximeter to monitor oxygen saturation levels in the blood of newborns, sick children and mothers undergoing cesarean section in low resource settings.