{"id":39204,"key":"Global_Health_Medical_Device_Compendium/BIRTHweigh_III","title":"Global Health Medical Device Compendium/BIRTHweigh III","latest":{"id":1267428,"timestamp":"2026-09-10T13:23:03Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"[[File:BirthweighIII.jpg|thumb]]\n\n{{GHMDC device data\n| health-topic = Child mortality\n| classification = Diagnosis\n| scope = Commercialized\n| manufacturer-location = Washington state, United States\n}}\n\nIn the absence of appropriate interventions, low birth weight infants are at increased risk for illness, developmental delay and death. Identifying low birth weight children in resource-poor settings requires an inexpensive, accurate and portable scale that can be understood with minimal literacy or training.\n\n== Detailed description of the solution ==\n\nThe BIRTHweigh III is a portable handheld non-electronic scale that uses a plastic spring to gauge low birth weight status among newborns. Based on WHO cutoff weights and using color codes, the scale categorizes newborns into normal (>2500 g) birth weight, low (2000-2499 g) birth weight, and very low (<2000 g) birth weight. The three-way classification also has applications for correct dosing of antibiotics to newborns.\n\n== Designed by ==\n\n* Designed by: Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), PO Box 900922 Seattle, WA 98109\n* Manufacturing: PATH is working to identify manufacturers in the countries where the technology is most needed.\n\n== Implementation ==\n\nA licensed version is currently for sale worldwide through Unicef under the name BeBeWay.\n\n== Funding Source ==\n\nThe United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides public funding.\nSave the Children provides philanthropic funding.\n\n== References ==\n\n=== Peer-reviewed publication ===\n\nDarmstadt GL, Kumar V, Shearer JC et al. (2007.)\nValidation of accuracy and community acceptance of the\nBIRTHweigh III scale for categorizing newborn weight in rural\nIndia. Journal of Perinatology 27:602-608. Link available [http://www.nature.com/jp/journal/v27/n10/full/7211797a.html here].\n\nMullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Coffey P et al. (2006.) A low cost, colour coded, hand held spring scale accurately categorises birth weight in low resource settings. Archives of Disease in Childhood 91(5): 410–413. Link available [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2082743/ here].\n\n=== Other internally generated reports ===\n\nPATH. (2008.) Technology solutions for global health: BIRTHweigh III. PDF available [http://www.path.org/publications/files/TS_update_bw3.pdf here].\n\n{{Page data\n| sdg = SDG03 Good health and well-being, SDG09 Industry innovation and infrastructure\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| language = en\n}}"}