Many years ago, during my OB-GYN residency at Harlem Hospital in New York City, we relied on fetal scalp sampling to monitor babies at risk of hypoxia (low oxygen) during labor. This challenging procedure involved obtaining a blood sample from the fetal scalp to measure pH levels, which indicated whether the fetus was experiencing low oxygen. Despite the complexities, this intervention often saved lives and reassured many mothers.

Fast forward to today, and I am amazed and encouraged by the strides we’re making in fetal health technology. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced the RADx Tech Fetal Monitoring Challenge winners of the RADx Tech Fetal Monitoring Challenge, a groundbreaking $2 million prize competition. These award-winning technologies have the potential to radically shift how we diagnose and manage fetal health—especially in underserved communities worldwide. Among the winners is Lumerah, a non-invasive fetal pulse oximeter that could detect fetal distress during labor by measuring oxygen saturation transabdominally, offering a safer and more accessible approach to monitoring fetal well-being. Lumerah, is a product of Radiant Oximetry, a company founded by Dr. Neil Ray, a forard-thinking pediatric anesthesiologist

This significant development aligns with my ongoing commitment to improving maternal and fetal outcomes, especially in medically underrepresented populations. While the initial applications may target high-resource settings, there’s an urgent need for this technology in low-resource environments, where access to real-time fetal health information could be lifesaving.

While the technology’s initial focus is on reducing unnecessary cesarean deliveries, there is a broader opportunity here—one that addresses disparities in healthcare and clinicians provide vital resources to those who need them most.

Technology like Lumerah’s exemplifies the potential to reimagine maternal and fetal care, giving physicians and mothers the tools to monitor and protect the next generation. I look forward to seeing these advancements become widely accessible and celebrating the lives they save.

Congratulations, Dr. Neil Ray and your team for a job well done!