Nick Dale, a neuroscientist at the University of Warwick in the UK has developed a new biosensor to warn of oxygen starvation in unborn children which could help prevent women in labour from undergoing unnecessary caesarean sections.

The biosensor works by using an enzymatic reaction to produce a signal in proportion to the amount of hypoxanthine present in a sample. The team hopes to be ready for the human trials in 18 to 24 months.

If widely adopted, the biosensor could lead to a decrease in the number of unnecessary caesareans, Dale hopes. About 23% of 575,900 live births in England were caesareans in 2003 – with more than half of those done as emergencies, according to the UK’s department of health.

This type of new biosensor could eventually be used as a continuous monitor for hypoxia by attaching it to the unborn baby’s scalp.