The Seemingly Simple Invention That Has Saved 150,000 Babies

For many women in developing countries, becoming pregnant and giving birth becomes a time of tremendous worry and fear rather than a time for celebration. This anxiety is due to the fact that many women lose their babies during birth or shortly after, especially if they are born premature. 

Babies who are born premature in the United States get placed into an incubator, but for mothers living in developing countries, an incubator is not always an option. For babies who are born premature or severely underweight, even room temperature can be too cold for them. Unfortunately, incubators are extremely expensive, require specialized training, and need constant electricity- which becomes challenging in small villages. 

Thanks to a new invention called the Embrace Infant Warmer, mothers in developing countries won’t have to worry about losing their premature baby due to not having an incubator available. The invention resembles a tiny sleeping bag, but do not be fooled by the small size and simplicity of the warmer. The Embrace infant warmer allows babies to regulate their own body temperature and stay warm without the help of an incubator- and for about 1% of the cost. 

So who came up with this revolutionary idea? 

It was actually an MBA class at Stanford who came up with the idea and the actual warmer itself. Co-founder and former member of the class, Jane Chen, says that the students have been at it for eight years and have a current goal of saving 1 million babies. The only roadblock in the path to their goal, like many other projects, has been funding. To help remedy this issue, the group launched Little Lotus, a collection of baby products on the market that have technology similar to the Embrace Infant Warmer. 

Today, the warmer has helped save 150,000 babies in 10 different countries! It is predicted that this invention will be able to save more than 2 million premature and underweight babies every year. 

If you would like to learn more, or help a baby in need, please visit the Little Lotus website. For every product purchased from Little Lotus, one Embrace Infant Warmer will be sent to a baby in need in the developing world.

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