ID 2373: Investigation of the Relationship Between Sleep and Preterm Birth Using Wearable Device Data
Master’s Thesis
Preterm birth is defined as birth before completed 37 weeks of gestation (pregnancy weeks). It accounts for 75% of perinatal mortality (dying during or related to the course pregnancy). It is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity worldwide. Around 10% of neonates (babys) are born preterm. Previous research discovered that poor sleep may be a contributing factor to preterm birth.
In our SMART Start project, we accompany up to 1000 pregnant women using wearable devices. This includes a “smart” sleep mattress that tracks different sleep parameters (in-bed/out-of-bed time, sleep stages, sleep time, heart rate,…).
The aim of this thesis is to examine how sleep changes throughout pregnancy and whether there is a relation to preterm birth.
Tasks
- Conducting a comprehensive literature review around the areas of preterm birth and poor sleep during pregnancy.
- General analysis of sleep patterns during pregnancy.
- Assessment of relationship between sleep and outcome parameters such as preterm birth.
Requirements
- Basic knowledge in biomedical signal processing and big data handling using Python
- Strong interest in mobile health topics and wearable devices
Supervisors
