Last Updated on August 14, 2025 by Team Ideas24
A small, smart ultrasound could soon spare newborns an invasive spinal tap.
Researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and partners validated NEOSONICS, a handheld, high-resolution ultrasound tool that screens for infant meningitis through the baby’s fontanelle (the soft spot) with striking accuracy — about 94% sensitivity and 95% specificity — according to results published in Pediatric Research.
In plain terms, it correctly flagged most meningitis cases and correctly reassured most healthy babies, without a needle in sight.
Today’s standard test is a lumbar puncture — effective but uncomfortable, intimidating, and sometimes not feasible in unstable infants. In high-income hospitals, it’s often done even with low suspicion (leading to lots of “normal” results).
In low-resource settings, it’s often not done at all, risking missed or late diagnoses. NEOSONICS offers a gentler, faster first step that could streamline care everywhere: fewer unnecessary lumbar punctures where resources are abundant, and more timely, accurate detection where they aren’t.
What makes this truly noteworthy is the union of non-invasive imaging and AI. NEOSONICS uses high-frequency ultrasound to visualize cerebrospinal fluid under the fontanelle; deep learning interprets the images and detects inflammatory cell patterns consistent with meningitis.
That combination — portable hardware plus smart software — could also enable real-time monitoring of treatment response, giving clinicians a safer way to follow babies over time.
As ISGlobal’s director general and senior author Quique Bassat explains,
“Introducing a non-invasive tool could reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, prevent complications associated with lumbar puncture, and improve both early diagnosis and non-invasive monitoring of treatment response.”
The international study enrolled over 200 infants across Spain, Mozambique, and Morocco, correctly classifying 17 of 18 meningitis cases and 55 of 58 controls.
Lead author Sara Ajanovic notes the test’s performance “with approximately 94% sensitivity and 95% specificity,” pointing to real clinical promise. While larger rollouts and regulatory steps still lie ahead — and there are disclosed ties to the device maker — the direction of travel is encouraging: precise, patient-friendly diagnostics that meet families where they are.
It’s about minimizing trauma for the tiniest patients, making urgent answers more accessible, and supporting informed choices with clearer, quicker information.
Curious to see how this could change infant care? Read the full release and references for all the details: the EurekAlert news release, Pediatric Research (DOI), medRxiv preprint
