Inflatable incubators designed by a renowned British inventor are being shipped to war-torn regions to help preserve preterm infants. Ukraine
Nearly thirty-five inflatable ‘Mom’ incubators have been shipped to war-torn areas. Ukraine
Ukraine has requested an additional 100, and 400 could be required.
It earned the James Dyson Award and is less expensive and simpler than conventional incubators.
British-made inflatable incubators are saving the lives of preterm infants in war-torn Ukraine.
Nearly 35 ‘Mom’ incubators have already been shipped to the country, and 16 more are en route.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Health has requested an additional 100, although it is expected that as many as 400 may be required to meet rising demand.
Nearly 35 of the pictured ‘Mom’ incubators have already been sent to the country, and 16 more are en route.
The portable device, which won the James Dyson Award for Innovation, is less expensive to ship, assemble, clean, and operate than its conventional equivalent.
The portable gadget, which won the James Dyson Award for Innovation, is cheaper and easier to deliver, set up, clean, and use than its conventional version, providing much-needed flexibility to doctors and nurses trying to deliver and care for infants in hazardous situations.
As a design student at Loughborough University, James Roberts got the concept after viewing a news story about the difficulty of delivering neonatal care in disadvantaged places of the world.
He stated, “Hospitals are being bombarded; when air-raid sirens ring, conventional systems cannot be moved.” Our Mom gadget can be swiftly disconnected and taken to bunkers or shelters, ensuring that both nurses and infants will survive.’
Every year, over 15 million babies are born prematurely, representing approximately one tenth of all births globally.
Those born prematurely frequently have more health problems than those born at term, and they may experience long-term disorders affecting the brain, lungs, hearing, or vision. Premature delivery continues to be the biggest cause of death for children under the age of five worldwide.
Made in Felixstowe, Suffolk, the new-style incubators are also being used on a limited scale in the United Kingdom; four major NHS hospitals, including St. Peter’s in Chertsey, Surrey, and the Norfolk and Norwich, have them, with plans for wider use in the works.
Incubators are essential for saving the lives of premature infants because they maintain a “thermal neutral zone” in which the infants expend their energy growing as rapidly as possible rather than remaining warm. For every degree Celsius a premature infant loses, its risk of mortality climbs by 28%.
Due to the vulnerability of pregnant women forced to shelter in basements and bomb shelters with little or no medical assistance, the rate of premature births in Ukraine has risen dramatically since the onset of conflict.