Health Technology for Maternal Care: Design and Development of an Accessible Breast Milk Safety Monitoring System

The convergence of maternal health requirements and technological advancements offers substantial prospects for mitigating healthcare inequalities in modern society. This study examines the significant barrier encountered by working women in storing expressed breast milk while managing professional and caring duties. Notwithstanding the extensively recorded nutritional and immunological advantages of breast milk, prevailing techniques frequently lead to superfluous waste owing to time-based disposal strategies instead of quality evaluation. This study introduces the creation and assessment of an Arduino-based Expressed Breast Milk (EBM) checker that quantifies pH values to ascertain the safety of milk for newborn feeding. The apparatus employs readily available technological elements, such as an Arduino UNO R3 microcontroller, an LCD display, and a pH sensor module, to deliver real-time quality evaluation. The study reveals that breast milk sustains appropriate pH levels (7.30-7.50) for a considerably longer duration than formula alternatives, with fresh breast milk exhibiting greater stability than frozen counterparts, as evidenced by systematic testing across various milk types over prolonged periods. The results indicate that technological solutions can efficiently enhance maternal health decision-making, minimize resource waste, and improve newborn nutrition outcomes. This research enhances the comprehension of how health technology advances might tackle social issues in maternal care, especially for working moms managing childcare obligations. The study's ramifications reach beyond personal health outcomes to include policy issues related to workplace assistance for breastfeeding moms and the equitable access to health monitoring devices in community environments.