Across the US, more than 35% of counties are now considered a maternity care desert — with no birthing hospital, no birth center, and no obstetric clinician.
That lack of access affects more than 2.3 million women of reproductive age.
And while the U.S. maternal mortality rate has improved since the pandemic peak, hundreds of women still die each year from pregnancy-related causes.
Now, a new easy-to-use ultrasound system, powered by AI, is designed to bring basic sonograms closer to home so expectant mothers don’t have to travel hours just to check on their babies.
It’s a moment many expectant parents count on.
“The ultrasound is one of the most important diagnostic things that we do in pregnancy,” said Dr. Jeffrey Stringer, an OB/GYN at UNC School of Medicine. “I like to say it’s like a stethoscope to an obstetrician.”
But that simple check can mean hours on the road because more than a third of US counties are maternity care deserts.
“There are many, many places in the US that don’t have access to OB/gyn care,” Stringer said.
Missing basic checkups is linked to worse outcomes, including higher rates of preterm birth.
So, researchers at UNC School of Medicine are working on a new way to bring ultrasound to community clinics, rural health centers and even small doctors’ offices.
“We have an AI model that interprets the sweeps and makes a diagnosis,” Stringer said.
Here’s how it works: a provider uses a small, battery-powered probe connected to a tablet.
And then an AI model helps interpret the images.
The system can provide five critical pieces of information …
How far along the pregnancy is, whether there are twins, the baby’s estimated weight, amniotic fluid levels, and whether the baby is head-down or breech.
“For these five diagnoses, it’s just as accurate as a professional,” Stringer said.
The goal isn’t to replace specialists but to get basic, high-value information to patients sooner and catch problems earlier.
The hardware is also a game-changer, costing just a few thousand dollars, compared to $50,000 to $100,000 for traditional ultrasound machines.
The technology has already been used in Zambia with more than 10,000 patients and is being tested now in rural North Carolina. Researchers say the goal is to make it available in underserved communities across the country so basic pregnancy care is no longer limited by ZIP code.