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Appropriate Infant Incubator
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PROJECT
Infant Incubator: A low-cost alternative for developing countries
TEAM MEMBERS
Madeleine Abramowitz
Marcio Botto
Paola Lira
Mariana Negrao
Aparna Ramanathan
Andres Sierra
BACKGROUND
According to WHO, Low Birth Weight is a major health problem in developing countries, constituting as much as 30% of births, especially in the countries of South Asia. LBW infants include both preterm and term-growth-impaired infants. Hypothermia and not being breastfed are the major underlying contributors to morbidity in LBW infants and predispose them to infection and mortality during both the neonatal period and infancy. The costs of providing conventional hospital care to these infants in under-resourced situations are high. Besides, owing to a lack of sufficiently skilled nursing personnel, these infants do not receive optimal care. There is therefore a need to explore alternative, cost-effective strategies, that allow greater participation of beneficiaries in the care of LBW infants and that can improve prognosis for such infants.
EXISTING MODELS
Currently, many local health center do not have procedures and equipment in place to deal with LWB infants. The Health System in developing countries as Peru provides medical care in hospitals, however only few hospitals are available in rural areas and urban poor communities. In this context, the most serious cases are transferred to the closer hospital. Our proposal will perform the most basic needs of a LWB infant as to be kept warm and hydrated. It intends to be used in local health centers and if required situations, it will be transportable. Currently, there are no existing solutions to compare our device to.
INNOVATION
Modularity
Transport
Locally made / Replaceable parts
