Innovative Non-Invasive Ultrasound Test Promises Accurate Diagnosis of Infant Meningitis

Recent advancements in pediatric diagnostics have introduced a groundbreaking high-resolution ultrasound device capable of accurately detecting meningitis in newborns and infants. Traditionally, diagnosing meningitis relied on lumbar puncture to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for laboratory analysis—a procedure that is invasive, carries risks, and is often impractical in certain settings. The new technique uses ultrasound through the fontanelle, the soft spot on an infant's skull, to visualize cerebrospinal fluid directly.

An international study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), in collaboration with hospitals across Spain, Mozambique, and Morocco, evaluated the effectiveness of this device, named NEOSONICS. The study included over 200 infants up to 24 months old and demonstrated that the ultrasound-based method could classify 17 out of 18 meningitis cases accurately and correctly identify most controls without meningitis. The system uses a deep-learning algorithm to interpret the ultrasound images, analyze cell counts, and detect inflammatory signs, achieving approximately 94% sensitivity and 95% specificity.

This device's portability, affordability, and ease of use make it especially valuable in low-resource settings, where access to traditional diagnostic methods is limited. Its non-invasive nature reduces the need for lumbar punctures, minimizes the risk of complications, and allows for safer monitoring of treatment response. Experts believe that integrating this technology into clinical practice could significantly enhance early diagnosis, reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, and improve outcomes for infants suspected of having meningitis.

Furthermore, ongoing research aims to combine artificial intelligence with ultrasound imaging to refine diagnostic accuracy even further. Overall, this innovation marks a promising step toward safer, quicker, and more accessible meningitis detection in pediatric populations globally.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-invasive-enables-accurate-infant-meningitis.html