New Findings on Infant Feeding Issues Uncovered Using NFANT Labs’ Feeding Solution and Analytics

ATLANTA, Dec. 13, 2017 -- NFANT Labs presented initial results of their nfant Analytics feeding platform at the 2017 annual Hot Topics in Neonatology Conference in Washington, D.C., held December 11-13, 2017. The prestigious conference features internationally known faculty, poster sessions, critical reviews and debate about promising new therapies in neonatology.

The poster presentation, “Machine Learning Techniques Indicate Relative Risk for Underlying Post Discharge Feeding Issues,” reviewed findings from data collected using nfant Feeding Solution by researchers at the University of Kentucky. Machine learning algorithms were trained utilizing data from infants who experienced difficulty feeding that persisted after discharge from the Neonatal ICU (NICU). When these algorithms were applied to infants identified as “low risk” for developmental issues by the Hospital’s routine examination, 92% were identified as having a high potential for feeding issues.

Feeding difficulty is a primary limiting factor for discharge from the NICU and experienced by up to 70% of preterm infants born in the U.S. Many infants have continued feeding difficulty after hospital discharge resulting in readmissions or continued care, increased costs and undue stress to patients and their families.

These findings suggest that otherwise healthy preterm infants may have underlying feeding issues at discharge that go undetected using traditional NICU assessment focused mainly on age and weight. The data collected using nfant Feeding Solution and the algorithms leveraged by nfant Analytics may allow clinicians to improve on the standard of care by helping identify those infants that need additional treatment prior to and after discharge.

About NFANT Labs
NFANT Labs is a Medical Device and Digital Health company leveraging machine learning, predictive analytics and the first IoT medical device ever cleared by the FDA for the NICU. NFANT Labs' mission is to improve outcomes and expedite safe transition of infants to full oral feeding. Improving the standard of feeding care by collecting objective data and tracking feeding progression has the potential to shorten NICU stays, reduce readmissions and deliver substantial savings. For more information about NFANT Labs and its products, please visit www.nfant.com.

Contact:  Jonathan Shaw, [email protected], 800-761-7601