The development of a new smart pacifier could mean fewer blood draws for babies in neonatal intensive care units, according to a new study.

The pacifier, created by Washington State University researchers, wirelessly monitors electrolyte levels of NICU babies, according to a study published in the journal Biosensors And Bioelectronics.

Currently, there is no non-invasive way to test electrolyte levels in NICU babies, as most still require at least twice-daily blood draws, typically causing bruising, according to the study.

“We want to make it painless and also provide the continuous and real-time data,” Jong-Hoon Kim, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Washington State University, told KOMO.

Researchers used an everyday pacifier and integrated sensors and electronics, the study says. The pacifier monitors sodium and potassium ions in saliva continuously in real-time to measure babies’ electrolyte levels.

The information can then be sent to nursing staff wirelessly using Bluetooth technology, the study says. If a baby using the smart pacifier gets dehydrated, an alarm will sound.

“We believe this smart pacifier can provide the real-time and continuous monitoring of the health information of the newborn babies in the hospital and can make an impact to improve their health,” Kim told KOMO Newsradio.

After testing the pacifier with newborns in a hospital setting, researchers compared the data to data collected using blood draws, the study says. Researchers found the data from the two methods were comparable.

The researchers said their future work will focus on conducting a larger clinical study.

 - TNS