The Ministry of Health will deploy AI to assess the health of newborns

ByTech Word News

AI-based technology to help ASHA workers record key health parameters in newborns more efficiently and accurately | Photo credit: Representative image

Artificial intelligence (AI) will soon be used to assess key health parameters in newborns, including weight, length, shoulder width and head circumference, Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said on Saturday.

The minister said in a press statement that the artificial intelligence-based application developed by Wadhwani AI will make it easier and more efficient to monitor the health of newborns.

Under the Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) program of the National Health Mission, ASHA workers are required to visit newborns in their homes on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th and 42nd days after birth. During these visits, they record the weight, length and other health indicators of the infant through a mobile application, which allows early detection of health problems.

Currently, the process is cumbersome as ASHA workers have to carry scales and other equipment from one household to another. Obtaining accurate measurements can also be challenging when handling newborns.

To address these issues, the state government has partnered with Wadhwani AI to develop an app called ‘Shishu Maapan’. The app is designed to capture all the required measurements without the need for physical contact with the child, reducing dependency on multiple devices.

According to the release, once the app is installed on the smartphone, the user only needs to place the phone near the child. The system then records the required measurements within a short time.

Before the technology is brought to market, the Ministry of Health will create a database using videos of about 1,000 babies. Once the database is created, the AI ​​system will be integrated with the application used by ASHA workers. The process is expected to take approximately three months.

Meanwhile, ASHA workers and Assistant Midwives (ANMs) are being trained to use the technology. The department has also started collecting health measurements from around 1,000 newborns in Mangalagiri constituency as part of a pilot project. Based on the result, the technology will be rolled out across the state, the report said.

Published – 06 Jun 2026 20:52 IST