New Delhi, 13 May (IANS) | Researchers with US have developed a “smart” lectation sensor. These smart sensors are special to protect infants from excessive contact of common pain relieving acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is usually used for pain management after delivery. It is often used to treat infants fever.
Apart from giving direct medicines to children, there is a possibility of getting medicine from mother’s milk, which can lead to the risk of overdose of the drug. This drug is a major cause of liver failure in children and the most common cause of liver transplant in the US.
Acetaminophen sensor developed by researchers at the University of Southern California, USA, is included in a simple nursing pad. It detects acetaminophen in breast milk.
Maral Mausvi, assistant professor at the university’s biomedical engineering, said, “Breastfeeding mothers face a lot of health challenges, including nutritional deficiencies, breast -high infections – the risk of developing mastitis and possible transfer of drugs and other substances through their milk.”
Currently available methods to measure the level of acetaminophen in milk are expensive, complex and unavailable for regular use in the house. The team focuses on the lactation pad which is worn inside the bra to absorb leaked milk.
Researchers took a simple lactation pad and created small microfludic channels to move milk to the sensory area. Pads collect naturally out of the milk during the late-down reflex throughout the day. There, low -cost electrochemical sensors work and detect and measure important health markers in milk. The sensor then sends real -time readings to the user’s smartphone through a compact, portable detector, which acts like a glucometer, which uses electrical pulse to measure the level of acetaminophen.
With this information, users can take some decisions – such as pumping and throwing the drug present in milk – ensuring safe food for your child.
Researchers tested the accuracy of the sensor using acetaminophen’s various levels of human milk samples. He also verified that the sensor works on the presence of antibiotics as well as the changing structure of breast milk.
-IANS
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