Of the four million babies worldwide who die within the first month of life, a quarter die within 24 hours of birth. This is often because the infants are not provided with a consistent heat until they have the body fat and metabolic rate to stay warm. This is especially true for low-resource settings, where the majority of children are born at home and do not have the resources to provide their newborn with the necessary care immediately after birth.

Detailed description of the solution

This hot water bottle incubator utilizes simple items, a water bottle, hot water, and blankets, to create a form of an incubator. The rigged incubator involves filling a plastic water bottle with hot water and placing them under blankets to help keep premature babies warm. So far, there has not been professional input regarding the likely effectiveness of the device.

Designed by

• Designed by: Alice Sebour, a local woman from a slum in Kenya
• Manufacturer (if different):
• Manufacturer location: Nairobi, Kenya

When and where it was tested/implemented

Kenya

Funding Source

References