According to reports, the researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, have developed the first India-specific Artificial Intelligence (AI) model to determine the age of a foetus in a pregnant woman in the second and third trimesters precisely. It is a part of their ‘Interdisciplinary Group for Advanced Research on Birth Outcomes – DBT India Initiative’ (GARBH-Ini) programme.

Studies say an accurate ‘Gestational Age’ (GA) is necessary for appropriate care of pregnant women and for determining precise delivery dates. The ‘Garbhini-GA2’ model is the first late-trimester GA estimation model to be developed and validated using Indian population data.

The benefits of this GA model include:

• The age of a foetus (‘Gestational Age’ or GA) can be determined using a formula developed for the Western population.
• They are likely to be inaccurate when applied in the later part of pregnancy due to variations in the growth of the foetus in the Indian population
• This newly built ‘Garbhini-GA2’ accurately estimates the age of a foetus for the Indian population, reducing error by almost three times.
• This GA model can enhance the care delivered by obstetricians and neonatologists and reduce the maternal and infant mortality rates in India.