Hanneke van Santen, pediatric endocrinologist at UMC Utrecht, receives more than 1 million euros from KWF Kankerbestrijding. This gives a huge boost to her research aimed at developing a smartwatch for hormone balance. This can improve the quality of life of a specific group of children.
Children with a tumor near the hypothalamus, the hormone center in the brain, often have a very good survival rate. Yet the quality of life after treatment is often poor due to hormone imbalances. Disturbed feelings of hunger and thirst, heat regulation and day-night rhythms often result in obesity and chronic fatigue.
In collaboration with TU/e and the company Corsano Health, Hanneke van Santen wants to develop a smartwatch that can work as a kind of “external hypothalamus. The device can monitor body temperature, stress, sleep, daily activity, and, in the future, sodium concentration 24/7. Thus, it can help detect hormone imbalances more quickly so that child and parent can correct them. This will improve the quality of life of children with a tumor in the hypothalamus.
