AI in Pediatrics - Role, Uses and Limitations

Ever wondered how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the world around us? From a tiny calculator to a complex spaceship, everything around us is a miracle of artificial intelligence. 

 

AI is improving almost every existing sector such as healthcare, life sciences, medicines, astrology, casino industry, mining, and the cryptocurrency world. In particular, technology has a huge role in healthcare and medicines. From a child’s immunity dose to an elder’s treatment of damaged joints. The contribution of AI in the healthcare sector is incredible.

 

Let us learn the role of AI in healthcare and medicines, especially dealing with the Pediatrics sector

 

What is the role of AI and Pediatrics in healthcare?
 

AI means Artificial Intelligence. When we talk about artificial intelligence, robotics is generally the first aspect that pops into our mind. That might be because this is what we all commonly associate with artificial intelligence. But in reality AI is far bigger than robots and complex space centers. 

 

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AI has also influenced the healthcare sector. Artificial intelligence has improved the reality of healthcare. From a simple digital thermometer to a complex CT scanner, everything is filled with the aura of AI. By introducing different technologies and machines, AI has made the task of doctors easier and more reliable. 
 

Before proceeding on the main topic, let us clear the meaning of the word Pediatrics. The word ‘pediatrics’ is a medicinal term. The word defines the art of formulating medicines for infants, kids and adolescents. In layman’s terms, pediatrics is the medicine for the children. Pediatrics medicines define the dose and formulations from a child’s birth to the age of 18.

 

Now if you are wondering, why is there a need for differentiating medicines for children and adults? Well, it is because children have different physical systems than adults. They have different drug tolerance compatibility than adults. Also, they respond to a foreign particle or active drug ingredient differently from adults. 

 

To combat these complexes there is a need to formulate drugs of high bioavailability and lesser toxicity for children. Thus, the pediatric medicinal science got its way among other healthcare sectors.

 

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What is the role of AI in Pediatrics?

 

Now, let us discuss the role of AI in pediatrics. Directly or indirectly, artificial intelligence is responsible for defining the mortality rate of a country. 

 

The advent of big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence has brought a revolution in the traditional healthcare system. The first paper, SHELP of AI in pediatrics was published in 1984. After that, different practitioners and scientists have come up with their ideas and methods.

 

In 2003

 

Till 2003, AI has helped in the building of knowledge-based expert systems for dealing with children's health. The application has helped in expanding knowledge and in hand experience related to mortality prediction, survival chances, preterm birth, melanoma, cancer, and neuroblastoma of the infants.

 

In 2012

 

Later, till 2012, the role of artificial intelligence has widened. The AI has started supporting vector machines for prediction, diagnosis, and healthcare. It also began to feature discriminant analysis and feature logistic regression models. 

 

In 2021

 

And when we talk about current, AI has almost widened its legs in every scope of pediatrics. AI in pediatrics has now assisted with signal, image and speech processing. It has also evolved with the studies of pathology and genetics in kids. These studies made it to find the cure of epilepsy, seizures, asthma, pneumonia, autism and other neurological conditions. 

 

The technology has also found ways to tackle conditions such as premature baby birth and stunt growth conditions.

 

What are the uses of AI in Pediatrics?

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Uses of AI in Pediatrics

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AI has developed different tools and software that aid in the sector of children medicines and healthcare. The newer technologies of artificial intelligence help in incorporating data representation, computer imaging, and other algorithm based processes. The major uses of artificial intelligence are as follows:

 

1. Detection of False Alarms

 

False Alarms in pregnancy are termed as pseudocyesis. In layman’s terms pseudocyesis may be defined as the process when a woman feels that she is expecting a baby but in reality she is not pregnant. 

 

According to stats around 72 to 99% of clinical alarms are false. These false alarms often led to alarm fatigue. Now machine-learning algorithms now help the physicians to detect if the alarm is real or not.  Artificial learning just helps to reduce false alarms.

 

 

2. Biomedical Diagnosis

 

Pediatric diagnosis is the toughest diagnosis. It is too hard to diagnose tiny organs of infants and babies. AI helps the physicians to pay attention to the tiniest details of the organs. The latest vector machines help to create neural frameworks and molecular imaging modalities. 

 

 

3. Cardiac Surgery

 

One of the most basic uses of artificial intelligence in neonatal science is related to cardiac surgeries. Recently, machine-learning has helped to learn about periventricular leukomalacia.

 

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4. To Detect Skeletal Maturity

 

Artificial intelligence has given physicians access to frame hand radiographs. Thus, further helping the researchers to study about skeletal maturity of the infant.

 

 

5. Genotype-phenotype interrelationships

 

Artificial intelligence helps the researchers to study genotype-phenotype interrelationships among syndromes. The visual diagnostic decision support systems help the geneticists a hybrid approach to the automated diagnosis in medical genetics.

 

 

6. Virtual Assistants

 

Artificial intelligence helps the infants having neurological disorders such as autism with several learning tasks. It helps them to build their minds by keeping them engaged. Also, a child loves to interact with a robot more than a human.

 

 

7. In-home Data Collection

 

Artificial intelligence gives access to wearable technologies. They provide easy access to several medical procedures, especially in-home data collection such as heart rate, respiration, ECGs, blood oxygenation level, etc. 

 

The wearable technology is used in studying sleep cycle, obesity intervention, and psychosocial applications. The technology is useful in dealing with pediatrics records.

 

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8. Disorders Treatment

 

AI helps in curating and treating several disorders such as epilepsy, seizures, asthma, pneumonia, autism and other neurological disorders in infants and children. 

 

What are the limitations of AI in Pediatrics?

 

With so many advantages mentioned above, there are few sectors in pediatrics, which requires improvement. AI faces challenges in various ways. The major limitations of AI in Pediatrics are mentioned below.

 

1. Unstandardized data collection

 

The data collected by wearable technologies is not very accurate and often not able to meet the standards of the data collection. Thus, sometimes it led to sub-standardized quality of data.  

 

2. Privacy protection

 

Robotic technologies and robotic assistants are a serious threat to privacy and security issues of an individual. The data inserted in the device and system is always at the risk of being stolen and getting leaked. 

 

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3. Regulatory policies

 

Artificial intelligence has a risk of meeting the terms and norms of regulatory policies. Sometimes the data collected is not able to meet the set standards. 

 

4. Information sharing

 

The AI machines and techniques ask information from the users. The software shares this information further with the company’s databases. The shared information can be leaked from any user.

 

5. Quality management issue

 

Quality management is also a limitation of AI in pediatrics. The quality here refers to the criteria of data and records concern.

 

In medical sciences, AI has played vital roles in laboratory testing, medical imaging, medical diagnosis, and management of different pediatric diseases. AI helps healthcare to evolve in value-based healthcare. Regardless of the type of technologies used, it provides pediatric patients with optimal management.