NewsHealthPregnancyScientists have created a wearable piece of technology that can continuously monitor an unborn baby and potentially spot complications at an early stage11:59, 26 May 2026Updated 12:08, 26 May 2026An extraordinary new piece of technology could provide people going through high-risk pregnancies with round-the-clock care through a wearable "baby bump".‌Scientists say a new ultrasound patch could continuously monitor an unborn baby for hours at a time, even while the foetus and umbilical cord constantly move during pregnancy. The incredible device can spot early warning signs of potentially deadly pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia, according to a study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.‌Engineers behind the device, from University of California San Diego, said this piece of innovative technology could help doctors detect complications earlier in high-risk pregnancies.‌READ MORE: 'I found out I was pregnant - then my mum told me she was expecting too'READ MORE: 'I saw bright white light and was going to heaven - I knew I had to keep my eyes open'Researchers claimed the patch could have helped save a baby's life during a round of clinical testing - which were conducted in both the UK and US. Scientists said in one case the patch detected prolonged abnormal foetal signals that prompted medical intervention through an early Caesarean delivery.‌The research team say the new technology, called UPatch, could also expand access to prenatal care in low-resource settings, where skilled ultrasound technicians and continuous, long-term monitoring is often limited or unavailable.Prof Sheng Xu of Stanford University, a senior author of the work, said the current ultrasound systems in place for pregnancies have drawbacks.Article continues belowThe professor said: "Current diagnosis devices are intermittent that can only capture a snapshot of what’s going on with the baby. The patients can only do such measurements in the hospital. They miss a lot of information and data between the hospital visits."Professor Xu added that the wearable ultrasound patch means doctors "don't miss any data" so they can "identify the baseline of the signals of each individual patient, analyse the change and pattern of these signals".Antoniya Georgieva, a senior author of the study from the University of Oxford, said the paper marked a "very important step" to show "how practically something like this can be done".Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌PregnancyBabiesPre-eclampsia