Adhesive ultrasound patch helps spot pregnancy complications in real time

An adhesive ultrasound patch could help spot complications earlier in high-risk pregnancies. The patch monitors a fetus in real-time. Doctors who developed it say the patch may have saved a baby’s life. During clinical testing, it detected abnormal fetal signals, which led to an early C-section. The system uses algorithms to track the umbilical cord as it moves. That allows the patch to track a baby's anatomy and blood flow no matter the position of the mother or fetus. The news comes as Philadelphia hosts the Ultrasound in Medicine convention. (Photo credit: Stanford Medicine)