Philip Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 I was wondering if anyone has come across a good/realistic design for a DIY incubator to be used in a rural low-resource setting to transport premature newborns to a 2nd or 3rd-level neonatal ward. Similarly, could anyone share a link for a low-cost DIY incubator to be used in a neonatal ward (not for transport). Specifically for preterms 33-34 weeks in their first 72 hours of life or for more premature babies (26-32) who are several weeks old and already weaned off respiratory support, and receiving hospital kangaroo care. Basically a design for a safe, heated low-cost DIY incubator design where a stable premature baby can avoid hypothermia while their mother is getting something to eat or getting much-needed rest. Needless to say, it needs to be able to be built with materials easily found at a good hardware store. I’m open to any ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Johansson Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I am not aware of something, but went to PubMed and found two projects. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5971329/ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30408-9/fulltext Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted Thursday at 02:07 PM Share Posted Thursday at 02:07 PM I would recommend using skin to skin care to transport them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Delgado Posted Thursday at 03:27 PM Share Posted Thursday at 03:27 PM Dear Philip I guess the main problem for preterm babies weighing below 2000 grams is temperature control. There are many alternatives for temperature control and Kangaroo care: Bambi belt, BEMPU TempWatch, and many others. Even I designed the chullo-belt for preterm babies as a garment with intelligent technology, which is composed of a hat connected to a belt, including systems and sensors that allow the continuous identification of the position and well-being of premature babies using the kangaroo strategy (However, the chullo-belt still is just a registered idea (file 2362, year 2017), and it is not in production). Thinking outside the box (incubator), I wonder if there are possibilities for a "preterm sleeping bag" including heat control and something else ... What do you think about such an idea ? Kind regards, Carlos A. Delgado Lima, Peru 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustaf Lernfelt Posted Friday at 06:06 AM Share Posted Friday at 06:06 AM I believe mom-incubators are made for this setting. https://www.momincubators.com But an incubator could become an oven in the wrong hands, kangaroo-care is a safe alternative. I was told about a project as a student, where worn out incubators where transported to a rural setting in a warmer part of Africa, but the children got overheated and it became a death trap. Maybe the best people to hear with is MSF? I’m sure they thought this through. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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