Innovative MAIJU Smart Jumpsuit Revolutionizes Infant Motor Development Assessment

Researchers at the University of Helsinki and the New Children's Hospital have developed the MAIJU (Motor Assessment of Infants with a Jumpsuit), a smart jumpsuit designed to objectively assess infants' motor development in home settings. Equipped with multiple movement sensors, the MAIJU suit records infants' spontaneous movements during free play. Artificial intelligence algorithms analyze this data to identify motor milestones and monitor developmental progress.

A study published in Pediatrics on March 7, 2025, demonstrated that the MAIJU system identifies motor milestones with precision comparable to trained specialists in a World Health Organization reference study. The research involved 620 at-home measurements from 134 children aged 4 to 22 months, highlighting the suit's reliability and potential for early detection of neurodevelopmental issues.

Monitoring early neurological development is a cornerstone of pediatric healthcare worldwide. During the first two years of life, infants' motor development is closely observed, as movement forms the foundation for other developmental domains and interactions with the environment. Traditional methods for assessing motor development often rely on subjective parental reports and clinical observations during medical appointments. These approaches can lack the precision and consistency needed for accurate developmental monitoring throughout early childhood.

To address these challenges, researchers at the University of Helsinki and the New Children's Hospital at Helsinki University Hospital have developed the MAIJU (Motor Assessment of Infants with a Jumpsuit). This innovative wearable device is designed to objectively assess infants' motor development in home settings. Equipped with multiple movement sensors, the MAIJU suit records infants' spontaneous movements during free play. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms analyze this data to identify motor milestones and monitor developmental progress.

A study published in Pediatrics on March 7, 2025, demonstrated that the MAIJU system identifies motor milestones with precision comparable to trained specialists in a World Health Organization (WHO) reference study. The research involved 620 at-home measurements from 134 children aged 4 to 22 months, highlighting the suit's reliability and potential for early detection of neurodevelopmental issues.

The development of the MAIJU wearable required significant advancements in machine learning algorithms. By combining a novel motility description with state-of-the-art deep learning solutions, the research team achieved a technical breakthrough that enables accurate recognition of infants' postures and movements. This innovation allows for detailed assessments of motor maturation, which can be utilized in early clinical diagnostics and to measure the efficacy of various medical treatments and therapies.

The introduction of the MAIJU jumpsuit has several significant implications:

• Early Detection of Developmental Delays: By providing objective and detailed assessments of motor development, the MAIJU suit facilitates the early identification of neurodevelopmental issues, enabling timely interventions that can improve long-term outcomes for children.

• Equity in Healthcare: The ability to conduct assessments in a child's natural environment, such as at home or daycare, promotes regional equality in developmental monitoring. This approach ensures that children in various settings have access to consistent and accurate evaluations, regardless of their geographic location.

• Advancements in Pediatric Research: The MAIJU method offers a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of environmental factors, such as nutrition and caregiving practices, on motor development. This can inform public health strategies and interventions aimed at optimizing child development outcomes.

The University of Helsinki is a leading research institution in Finland, known for its contributions to various scientific fields. The New Children's Hospital at Helsinki University Hospital is one of the largest pediatric units in the Nordic countries, specializing in education and research on children's and adolescents' diseases. The hospital has national responsibilities in areas such as pediatric cardiac surgery and organ transplantation.

"This technique brings objectivity and global harmonization to the assessment of motor development. It also boosts regional equality in children's developmental assessment both nationally and internationally," says Professor Sampsa Vanhatalo, the principal investigator.

"The MAIJU jumpsuit opens up new opportunities for monitoring children's development, making it equal across Finland and the world. The MAIJU method also offers a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of the growth environment or nutrition on development," says Postdoctoral Researcher Manu Airaksinen, who was in charge of the jumpsuit's technical development.

By providing an objective, scalable, and user-friendly method for assessing infant motor development, the MAIJU smart jumpsuit represents a significant advancement in pediatric healthcare, with the potential to improve early detection and intervention for neurodevelopmental issues.