Melody International Co., Ltd., a startup from Kagawa University that develops and sells an online medical care platform for the perinatal period, has collaborated with Kyoto University, Kumamoto University, and Shimazu Seisakusho Co., Ltd. to "onset and aggravate pregnancy and postpartum depression. We have started joint research on "technology to detect signs to prevent".
In recent years, depression that develops during pregnancy and after childbirth has become a serious social problem.According to research by the National Center for Child Health and Development, 1% of mothers were judged to be at risk of mental health problems in the first year after childbirth, and from pregnancy to less than one year after childbirth from 10.8 to 2015. Suicide was the most common cause of death for women who died.
Therefore, by combining the heart rate variability analysis technology of melody and the electrocardiographic device of Shimadzu Corporation, the four parties aimed to prevent the onset and aggravation of depression in pregnant women. ) ”Aims to be developed.
In October 2021, the collaboration between Melody and Shimadzu Seisakusho was held in the "Cabinet Office Open Innovation Challenge 10" (a program to promote the utilization of public procurement by startups and SMEs). It has been certified as a "symptom detection technology".With the cooperation of Kyoto Prefecture and others, by February 2021, we conducted more than 2022 needs surveys targeting pregnant women, healthcare professionals, local governments, and private businesses.As a result, we have confirmed the demand for "devices that trigger pregnant women to consult with local governments and medical institutions" and have considered development. In the joint research until the end of 2, we will build a general-purpose algorithm that will lead to the detection of signs of pregnancy and postpartum depression, and proceed to start providing the service in 80.
Melody International Co., Ltd. is a startup from Kagawa University.As a J-Startup certified company, we are tackling the problem of obstetrician medical care in the remote islands and the local Setouchi region where there are many depopulated areas, as well as the problem of "shortage of obstetricians" in developing countries around the world.As an epoch-making solution to these problems, we have developed and commercialized the mobile fetal monitor "delivery monitoring device iCTG" and the perinatal telemedicine platform "Melodyi", and contributed to the spread of perinatal telemedicine.This time, we will take on the challenge of solving social issues such as prenatal and postnatal mental disorders in order to provide a wide range of solutions not only for the perinatal period but also for issues faced by pregnant women by utilizing the knowledge of fetal monitoring.
