A new take on Twitter

Health and science, science and technology...they have played off of each other since the invention of electricity. So it is no surprise that a grad student in New York created a way to receive notifications via Twitter every time his unborn baby kicks away inside of his wife's belly. It has been coined "twittering from the womb" and I personally think it is one of the most creative unions of medicine and modern technology I have recently seen. Granted, it is more "fun grad student project" than "essential medical technology" but even so, only in 2008 would such an idea come to light. Busy fathers-to-be: meet the Kickbee. Not only will you receive an SMS text to your cell phone (presumably an iPhone or a Blackberry, let's be honest) but your OB/GYN can actually view a log of the baby's movements over time. I immediately thought of how useful a device like this could be in a medical setting, as a physician could detect fetal distress in an unborn baby without the mother having to physically be in a hospital room. I am sure it is only a matter of time before a similar device could be designed to monitor fetal heartbeat and other physiologic indicators of distress in high-risk pregnancies...which means less time spent in the doctor's office and more time spent at work or at home. Color me impressed Mr. Second Year Grad Student.

Read about the Kickkbee here. Dr. Gayle Olson, an obstetrician from UTMB is quoted in the article :)