Sixty percent of all newborns develop some form of jaundice after birth, and about twelve percent of these newborns need to receive immediate treatment for severe jaundice. If left untreated, severe jaundice can cause life-threatening brain damage. Although this condition can be treated with phototherapy, this treatment method is currently too expensive to be used in low-resource health facilities.

Detailed description of the solution

Bilibed is a phototherapy treatment option that is cheap, portable, and can be placed next to the mother for follow-up and feeding. The device uses a 30W bulb that has a 1500-hour lifespan. The bulb emits a blue LED light that diminishes orange skin pigmentation and treats jaundice. In addition to treating jaundice, Bilibed also warms the baby, thus preventing hypothermia. The device is easy to use as it has an automatic thermometer set that cools down the device if the temperature gets too high.

Designed by

• Designed by: Breath of Life
• Manufacturer (if different): Medical Technology Transfer Services
• Manufacturer location: Vietnam

When and where it was tested/implemented

Vietnam

Funding Source

East Meets West

References