New micropacemaker designed for foetal use shows promise

US scientists have highlighted the potential benefits of a groundbreaking micropacemaker that can be used in unborn children.

A team of investigators at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California have developed the first fully implantable micropacemaker designed for use in a foetus with complete heart block.

Previous attempts to create such a device involved a small part of a regular pacemaker being implanted in the child, with the rest remaining externalised. This approach has proven unsuccessful due to foetal movement causing the electrodes to become dislodged.

This new device utilises the latest advances in microfabrication techniques to produce a micropacemaker small enough to reside entirely within the foetus, thus avoiding this risk altogether.

Dr Ramen Chmait, director of the CHLA-USC Institute for Maternal-Fetal Health, said: "This novel device provides a real opportunity to prevent miscarriage and premature birth in babies affected with these abnormalities."

The pacemaker has been designated a humanitarian use device by the US Food and Drug Administration, with the first human use of the device anticipated in the near future.