Artificial intelligence (AI) is offering a breakthrough in maternal health by identifying hidden heart conditions that could lead to death after childbirth.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have found that AI-powered screening tools could help detect heart muscle weakness in women of childbearing age—potentially preventing serious complications during pregnancy and postpartum.
Heart-related issues are a leading cause of maternal mortality. The new study, led by Dr. Anja Kinaszczuk and Dr. Demilade Adedinsewo, explored how AI tools using data from electrocardiograms (ECGs) and digital stethoscopes can detect left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below 50%.
This measurement signals weakened heart muscle function, which often goes unnoticed in routine care.
In the study, two groups of women aged 18 to 49 were evaluated. The first group included 100 women already scheduled for an echocardiogram—the current gold standard for assessing heart function. These women also underwent ECGs and digital stethoscope recordings.
The second group consisted of 100 women attending standard primary care visits, helping researchers understand how often the AI tools might detect unknown heart problems in the general population.
The AI-based ECG analysis achieved an impressive diagnostic accuracy with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94. The AI-enabled digital stethoscope, Eko DUO, performed even better with an AUC of 0.98. In the primary care group, 1% of women tested positive for heart dysfunction via AI-ECG, while 3.2% tested positive through the AI stethoscope.
Dr. Adedinsewo emphasized the significance of these findings, particularly given that nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned. “About 1% to 2% of women may unknowingly have heart problems,” she said. ”
By integrating these AI tools into routine pre-pregnancy and primary care screenings, we can help women make safer pregnancy decisions and receive early treatment when needed.”
This research builds upon previous AI studies in both the U.S. and Nigeria that demonstrated the value of AI in detecting cardiomyopathy during and after pregnancy. As more studies unfold, the goal is to incorporate these tools into broader population screenings.
Mayo Clinic has licensed the technology to EKO Health and Anumana. Any financial return supports Mayo Clinic’s nonprofit mission to improve patient care, education, and research.
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