A soft fabric necklace called "Joey" is revolutionizing how at-risk infants receive crucial skin-to-skin contact with their mothers. This practice, known as Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), is endorsed by the World Health Organization as a vital form of healthcare.
Revolutionizing Infant Care With 'Joey' Fabric Necklace
Studies have shown that KMC can reduce mortality rates by up to 40% among hospitalized infants with low birth weight. However, existing monitoring devices for KMC sessions are often bulky and complex, involving rigid sensors and wires attached to the baby's body.
In response, a team of engineers from Columbia University has developed the fabric necklace "Joey." Interesting Engineering reported that this fabric necklace worn by caregivers during KMC sessions continuously monitors the infant's heart and respiration rates.
According to Columbia University, this continuous monitoring not only helps reduce risks but also lowers stress levels and promotes healthy weight gain in infants undergoing KMC. The name "Joey" comes from how baby kangaroos stay in their mother's pouch for comfort and safety, which is called joeys.
A soft fabric necklace called "Joey" is revolutionizing how at-risk infants receive crucial skin-to-skin contact with their mothers.Garrett Jackson from Unsplash
Innovative Fabric Technology for Infant Monitoring
Joey utilizes a simple fabric sensor design to track the duration of KMC sessions by detecting combined electrical signals (ECG). It then separates the infant's ECG from this blend using a specialized signal extraction algorithm and employs a denoising model based on diffusion to minimize motion interference.
This ensures accurate monitoring of the infant's vital signs during KMC sessions. Xia Zhou led the project alongside an engineering team from Columbia University, where she is an associate professor specializing in mobile computing and networks.
Exploring fabric-based technologies for their adaptability and ease of use, Zhou and her team developed a device woven with conductive threads. One side features a kangaroo design, while the other displays a heart symbol.
This fabric sensor detects electrical signals from the baby's heartbeats. Utilizing computational algorithms, the device interprets these signals to monitor vital signs. The device also adjusts to movement with a motion detector, ensuring accurate readings even when the baby shifts.
The collected data is transmitted to a mobile app, which provides mothers with real-time information directly on their mobile devices. After testing the device with 35 participants and interviewing eight neonatology pediatricians, they confirmed that Joey's sensing fabric for infant skin was 96% accurate.
The use of fabrics continues to revolutionize technology, offering more convenient solutions that are adaptable to movement and occupy less physical space. Columbia's app connected to Joey can detect if the baby requires more KMC, a crucial metric given the therapeutic benefits of skin-to-skin contact.
This feature assures mothers that their infant is receiving the care they need. If any irregularities in the infant's vital signs are detected, the caregiver receives an immediate alert.
This signals a departure from cumbersome, outdated hardware to user-friendly, cost-effective wearable technologies, particularly beneficial for resource-limited hospitals. Joey has the potential to significantly improve infant care, particularly in critical scenarios.
