Bid to make pregnancy safer for black mums
RESEARCHERS are to use artificial intelligence in the hope of reducing disproportionate levels of harm among black mothers and babies.
Experts from Loughborough University will work with the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch to identify patterns in more than 600 of its recent investigations into adverse outcomes during pregnancy and birth.
The independent patient safety body has conducted more than 2,000 maternity investigations since April 2018, with about 10 per cent concerning black, Asian and ethnic minority families.
Cases included the death of the mother during pregnancy or childbirth, miscarriages, stillbirths and neonatal deaths.
Black mothers are four times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women, according to a report published by MBRRACE-UK.
The research team will develop a machine learning system capable of identifying factors that contribute to harm during pregnancy and birth experienced by black families.
These include biological factors, such as obesity or birth history; social and economic factors such as language barriers and unemployment; and the quality of care and communication with the mother.
It will look at how these elements interact with and influence each other, and help researchers design ways to improve the care of black mothers and babies.
Dr Patrick Waterson, from the university’s human factors and complex systems group, said: “Ultimately, we believe the outcomes from our research have the potential to transform the NHS’s ability to reduce maternal harm among mothers from black ethnic groups.
“In the longer term, our research could improve patient safety for all mothers, regardless of ethnicity.”
The project will run for two years from January.
Jabeer Butt, chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, said: “A woman’s ethnicity should have no impact on her chances of having a safe and healthy pregnancy, yet the reality for black pregnant women is it does.
“While we welcome the use of AI to better address the problem, safeguards will be crucial to ensure the use of AI doesn’t end up exacerbating the inequalities it aims to solve.”
RESEARCHERS USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON PROBLEM