Dr. Walter O'Dell
College of Medicine
Biology
Public Health
AMSA, Best Buddies
University of Scholars, Florida Bright Futures
Child Life Program, Community Health Center
Vessel segmentation, Quality improvement
Although there is a standardized scoring system which quantifies the degree of underdevelopment in preterm babies (preemies), the development of preemie lungs is an area that has not been fully studied. As a result, the advancement in care is hindered when trying to improve the early survival of preterm babies. In the majority of preemie cases, the babies are not able to breathe on their own and therefore, require the assistance of a respirator. However, due to the lack of data, there is no objective criteria that determines the appropriate time to safely take a preemie off of a respirator. The goal of this project is to distinguish quantifiable metrics of lung development in preemies compared to full-term children. The data acquired from this project could eventually provide physicians clinical guidance that further improves the well-being of patients.
Although there is a standardized scoring system which quantifies the degree of underdevelopment in preterm babies (preemies), the development of preemie lungs is an area that has not been fully studied. As a result, the advancement in care is hindered when trying to improve the early survival of preterm babies. In the majority of preemie cases, the babies are not able to breathe on their own and therefore, require the assistance of a respirator. However, due to the lack of data, there is no objective criteria that determines the appropriate time to safely take a preemie off of a respirator. The goal of this project is to distinguish quantifiable metrics of lung development in preemies compared to full-term children. The data acquired from this project could eventually provide physicians clinical guidance that further improves the well-being of patients.