BabyFace, launched by the University of Nottingham, and now available on the App Store, will ask parents to send anonymous pictures of their newborn’s feet, face and ears together with information about their birth date and how many days or weeks early or late they were born.
The initiative could prevent millions of deaths in developing countries, where lack of medical equipment makes it impossible to determine the gestation of a baby. This means premature children often lack the specialist care they need, putting their lives at risk.
Dr Michel Valstar, who is leading the project, said, ‘What defines each gestational age is the number of wrinkles and the depth of them in the feet. The roundness of the eyes and how sharp they are at the corners is another indicator. By using and storing the pictures we collect, the app will begin to recall the shape of the eyes, ears and wrinkles in the feet.’
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