Improving growth monitoring in NICU’s – MDDC Medical Device Development Centre

Julie Conti, Clinical Fellow in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital, submitted an unmet need focused on improving growth monitoring in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and was recognized with MDDC Discovery Sprint Award ($5,000).

Accurate growth monitoring is critical for premature and critically ill infants, yet reliable length measurement in the NICU remains challenging. Current methods can be resource-intensive, disruptive to fragile patients, and difficult to integrate into busy workflows – often leading to inconsistent or missed data.

Julie identified a gap in existing tools, highlighting the need for a more practical, low-stress approach to measuring infant growth. Her concept explores a solution to improve ease of use and measurement reliability, supporting better-informed clinical decisions and improved outcomes for vulnerable infants.