An artificial intelligence–supported mobile application to be developed at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) aims to enable the early detection of common skin problems in infants and initiate treatment processes quickly by integrating the system into mobile health platforms.

The project titled “Early Diagnosis of Infant Skin Problems and Mobile Health Integration with an Artificial Intelligence-Supported Hybrid Approach”, which has been supported under the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) 1507 SME R&D Initial Support Program, is led by Dr. Lecturer Sema Gül, Academic Advisor of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the OMU Developmental Education Application and Research Center.

Prof. Dr. Canan Seren, a faculty member of the Department of Child Health and Diseases at the OMU Faculty of Medicine, serves as a consultant on the project. Within the scope of the project, a hybrid diagnostic system based on image processing techniques and artificial intelligence algorithms will be developed.

By uploading images of infant skin conditions to the mobile application, the system aims to identify skin problems observed in babies quickly and accurately at an early stage. The collected data will be integrated into mobile health applications and made available to parents and healthcare professionals. The application is expected to facilitate remote monitoring of infant skin health and improve access to healthcare services.

These applications are replacing the role of grandparents

Project coordinator Dr. Lecturer Sema Gül told Anadolu Agency that she has been working particularly in the field of physiotherapy for high-risk infants. She explained that she previously developed a mobile application that analyzes infant movements to identify neurological disorders at an early stage in collaboration with Samsun Technopark, OMU Technology Transfer Office entrepreneurship training programs, and ADAPHA Artificial Intelligence R&D and Software Inc. She stated that they are now focusing on identifying skin problems in newborns.

Gül noted that in recent years fertility rates have declined, family structures have become smaller, and young couples often struggle to find someone to consult regarding their babies, leaving them feeling isolated. She added that such applications are increasingly taking on the role traditionally played by grandparents.

Gül said: “With the transition from extended family structures to nuclear families, even for very small issues that families previously discussed with their parents or elders, they now feel the need to consult physicians. One of our elders once said that in 20 years the number of children who have aunts and uncles around them will gradually decrease, and society will continue to move toward even smaller family structures. Our aim is to support families so that they can raise their babies in a healthy way and increase parents’ confidence in caring for their children.”

“We have begun analyzing 41 different skin conditions”

Yaklaşık 6 yıldır üzerinde çalıştıkları proje kapsamında geliştirilecek mobil uygulama sayesinde ailelerin bebeklerinin cildindeki problemi görüntü yoluyla sisteme iletebileceğini anlatan Gül, şöyle konuştu:

“When parents upload an image of a skin issue observed in their baby, we are developing a system that will provide a probability-based assessment of what the condition might be and recommend consulting a physician. In addition, an educational module will be created for doctors, residents, and family medicine staff. Many conditions are brought to us for consultation, but we have specifically initiated work focusing on the analysis of 41 different skin problems.”

Early diagnosis facilitates the treatment process

Gül emphasized that the early detection of skin diseases in infants is extremely important. She noted that early intervention can prevent problems such as pain and itching that babies cannot express themselves. She added that when diseases progress, treatment becomes more difficult and resistance to medications may develop, highlighting that early diagnosis plays a critical role in preventive treatment.

Drawing attention to the increasing rate of premature births despite declining birth rates, Gül stressed the importance of medical, rehabilitation, and family support for infant health and stated that the project also aims to strengthen parents’ confidence. She explained that the project is expected to be completed within 18 months and the mobile application will then be made available for use. Gül also noted that before this project they developed the “BabySensAI” system for the early detection of conditions such as cerebral palsy and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which is currently in use.

She concluded: “With BabySensAI, which we developed earlier, we enabled early diagnosis of conditions such as cerebral palsy and SMA. In cooperation with Samsun Metropolitan Municipality, we are currently able to guide families through a video analysis system for early detection. We are achieving very positive results. For example, one of our babies with cerebellar damage has started walking thanks to early diagnosis and timely intervention. With early diagnosis and correct intervention, we have observed improvements in developmental outcomes of up to 40 percent. This is a major success for us.”