This critical innovation addresses the urgent and unmet need for rapid and minimally invasive diagnostic tools to protect vulnerable newborns, especially those born prematurely.

Critical unmet need in newborn care

Premature infants are particularly vulnerable to life-threatening conditions such as sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Newborn sepsis—a bloodstream infection occurring in the first weeks of life—is a major global health challenge, causing up to one million infant deaths worldwide annually.

NEC, a serious intestinal disease that causes severe inflammation, is one of the leading causes of death in premature babies—up to 50% of low birth weight neonates who get NEC do not survive. Infants can show vague symptoms, making diagnosis of these conditions challenging. However, both conditions can worsen rapidly and require immediate medical intervention for the best chance of recovery