COMPUTERIZED ASSESSMENT OF MATERNAL AND INFANT NUTRITURE

DIET-TEK, INC WILL DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE MICROCOMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM TO ASSESS MATERNAL AND INFANT NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND TRACK CHANGES IN STATUS FOLLOWING INTERVENTION. ASSESSMENTSWILL BE UNIQUE FOR PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN AND ADOLESCENTS, AND FULL-TERM AND PRETERM INFANTS. PROGRAMMINGTOOLS WILL BE EVALUATED AND USED TO BUILD A SYSTEM WITH THE CAPABILITY TO CHANGE REFERENCE STANDARDS USED IN CRUCIAL CALCULATIONS WITHOUT THE USER HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. THE RESULTANT SYSTEM WILL REDUCE THE TIME CLINICIANS SPEND PERFORMING TEDIOUS CALCULATIONS WHILE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL DATA THAT WILL AID IN DIAGNOSIS, INTERVENTION, AND MAINTENANCE OF BOTH HEALTHY AND ILL INFANTS. IN PHASE I, A PROTOTYPE COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR THE PRENATAL ANDPOSTNATAL NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT OF FEMALES AND THEIR INFANTS WILL BE DEVELOPED. A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS WILL BE CONDUCTED, FOLLOWED BY DEVELOPMENT OF A LIMITED PROTOTYPE SYSTEM. IDENTIFICATION OF ALL DATA TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SYSTEM WILL BE MADE. IN PHASE II, COMPLETE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING SOME EXPERT SYSTEM CAPABILITIES AND DETAILED BETA-SITE TESTING BY PEDIATRIC AND OBSTETRIC PRACTITIONERS AND NUTRITIONISTS, WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED. ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM WILL BE MADE. PHASE III WILL CONSIST OF MARKETING THE SYSTEM.