Garbhini-GA2: AI Model of India to find gestational age

Source- This post on Garbhini-GA2: AI Model of India to find gestational age is based on the article “India-specific model to give accurate gestational age of foetus” published in “The Hindu” on 26th February 2024.

Why in the News?

Researchers have developed an India-specific artificial intelligence model- Garbhini-GA2. It accurately determine the gestational age of a fetus during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (months 4-9 of pregnancy).

About Garbhini-GA2 AI Model of India

1. About- It is the first computer model for estimating late-trimester gestational age to be developed and validated using data from the Indian population.

2. Developed by– Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad.

3. Component of the GARBH-Ini initiative:
a. It is part of a research program called GARBH-Ini which focuses on advanced research about birth outcomes in India.
b. The GARBH-Ini program is a flagship programme of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India.

4. Funding of Garbhini-GA2:
a. Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India
b. Grand Challenges India program under the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
c. Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBC-DSAI)
d. Centre for Integrative Biology and Systems Medicine (IBSE) at IIT Madras

What are the issues with current models?

1. Currently, the gestational age (GA) of a fetus is assessed using a formula designed for Western populations.

2. Existing Models like Hadlock and INTERGROWTH estimate pregnancy age, but they are based on Western data.

3. Indian and Western babies grow differently during pregnancy. So these models give inaccurate results for Indian women in the later months. This can affect due date prediction, care quality, and risk assessment for premature birth in India.

What is the Significance of Garbhini-GA2 model?

1. The new Garbhini-GA2 formula for the second and third trimesters accurately determines the fetus’s age for Indian population, reducing errors by nearly three times.

2. Precise gestational age is crucial for providing proper care to pregnant women and accurately determining delivery dates.

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