Designing a Low-Cost Multifunctional Infant Incubator.

Every year, an unacceptably large number of infant deaths occur in developing nations, with premature birth and asphyxia being two of the leading causes. A well-regulated thermal environment is critical for neonatal survival. Advanced incubators currently exist, but they are far too expensive to meet the needs of developing nations. We are developing a thermodynamically advanced low-cost incubator suitable for operation in a low-resource environment. Our design features three innovations: (1) a disposable baby chamber to reduce infant mortality due to nosocomial infections, (2) a passive cooling mechanism using low-cost heat pipes and evaporative cooling from locally found clay pots, and (3) insulated panels and a thermal bank consisting of water that effectively preserve and store heat. We developed a prototype incubator and visited and presented our design to our partnership hospital site in Mysore, India. After obtaining feedback, we have determined realistic, nontrivial design requirements and constraints in order to develop a new prototype incubator for clinical trials in hospitals in India.

Glucose monitoring in neonates: need for accurate and non-invasive methods.

Neonatal hypoglycaemia can lead to devastating consequences. Thus, constant, accurate and safe glucose monitoring is imperative in neonatal care. However, point-of-care (POC) devices for glucose testing currently used for neonates were originally designed for adults and do not address issues specific to neonates. This review will address currently available monitoring options and describe new methodologies for non-invasive glucose monitoring in newborns.

Congenital hypothyroidism with a delayed thyroid-stimulating hormone elevation in very premature infants: incidence and growth and developmental outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that very low birth weight (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants have an increased incidence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) with a delayed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) elevation and that the outcomes of these infants are similar to control infants. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of newborn thyroid screening data for 92 800 live births in Rhode Island to identify CH with a delayed TSH elevation. Developmental, growth, and endocrine outcomes of the index cases were assessed at 18 months corrected age. RESULTS: CH with a delayed TSH elevation occurred in 1 in 58 ELBW, 1 in 95 VLBW, and 1 in 30 329 infants weighing ≥1500 grams (P < .0001). The incidence of head circumference <10(th) percentile was higher in VLBW infants with CH associated with a delayed TSH elevation (P < .05), and the mean head circumferences, weights, lengths, and developmental scores were similar to matched control infants. Three infants received short-term levothyroxine replacement. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of CH with a delayed TSH elevation was higher in ELBW and VLBW infants compared with infants weighing ≥1500 grams. The outcomes of these infants were comparable with matched control infants.