Scientists from University College London and the University of Ghana have shown that anemia in newborn babies can be detected using smartphone photos. Research published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Researchers analyzed photos of 43 children under the age of four. They depicted three areas of the body with minimal skin pigmentation: the white of the eye, lower lip, and lower eyelid. Scientists were able to successfully identify the most severe cases of anemia.
The study could make screening for anemia more accessible for children in Ghana and other low- and middle-income countries where iron deficiency rates are high. The new screening tool is much faster, easier and cheaper than blood tests.
Previously, a similar screening method was introduced to detect neonatal jaundice in infants.
Anemia affects two billion people worldwide and can have a significant impact on children’s developmental outcomes by increasing their susceptibility to infectious diseases and impairing their mental capacity.