New Maternal Fetal Monitoring System Increases Safety for Mothers & Babies at Brookings Health

  • August 10, 2020

Obstetrics Nurse Lacy Maher, RN, checks the position of the fetal monitoring belts on expectant mother Chelsey Sundberg. Brookings Health recently implemented new fetal monitoring software that uses artificial intelligence to help healthcare providers identify early warning signs during childbirth, increasing the safety for both mother and baby.
Obstetrics Nurse Lacy Maher, RN, checks the position of the fetal monitoring belts on expectant mother Chelsey Sundberg. Brookings Health recently implemented new fetal monitoring software that uses artificial intelligence to help healthcare providers identify early warning signs during childbirth, increasing the safety for both mother and baby.

Brookings Health System recently implemented a new maternal fetal monitoring system that further increases safety for both mothers and babies during childbirth at New Beginnings Birth Center.

“Our new PeriWatch maternal fetal monitoring software uses artificial intelligence to help our obstetricians and nurses identify any early warning signs with either mom or baby during labor and delivery,” said Obstetrics Director Mary Schwaegerl. “This can help us protect moms and babies during childbirth, prevent caesarean sections and ensure positive outcomes for families.”

The software uses an algorithm to help care providers interpret fetal heart rate patterns. It also continuously monitors a mother’s vital signs as well as contractions and labor progression. By analyzing the data, the maternal fetal monitor software provides an early warning system to allow for timely medical interventions. It also acts as a clinical decision support tool for the obstetrics care team, giving consistent, objective and standardized assessment to enhance care at the bedside.

Brookings Health System’s OB unit, New Beginnings Birth Center, has eight beds consisting of five labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) suites and three postpartum recovery rooms. The unit provides full OB services to expectant parents and enables area residents to deliver their baby close to home with a local physician. As a Baby-Friendly® Hospital, Brookings Health ensures mothers who deliver at New Beginnings Birth Center and intend to breastfeed, as well as those who cannot or decide not to breastfeed, are supported. To learn more about New Beginnings Birth Center, please visit www.brookingshealth.org/OB.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.