India sees a large number of low birth weight babies every year, weighing as low as 500- 600g, against the normal 2,000g. To tackle this issue, a team from World University of Design (WUD), IIT-Delhi and Neonatology division of Department of Paediatrics, AIIMS, designed and developed a Mamma Pod garment an Assistive Garment for giving Kangaroo Mothercare that was recently selected for the Biotech Product and Process Development and Commercialisation Awards 2020 by the government. Excerpts from an interview with Deepti Gupta, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT-D:
What is Mamma Pod?
Mamma Pod is an ergonomically designed carrier to keep the neonate warm, supported and in contact with the mother’s skin. As the name suggests, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) draws inspiration from kangaroos who keep their newborns safely in the pouch whilst carrying out their life activities from feeding to hopping and even sleeping. KMC helps a mother do the same without feeling tired.
When did the project start?
The project was initiated in January 2015, when Dr Ramesh Agarwal of AIIMS Paediatrics Department contacted our teams from IIT and World University of Design, seeking a solution for providing KMC to babies born with low birth weight as per WHO recommendations
How long did it take to come up with the final product?
The team included Sanjay Gupta and Umair Khan of WUD with Koshalpreet Kaur from GD Goenka University, Dr Ramesh Agarwal and Dr Jeeva Shankar and Assistant Professor Levis Murry from AIIMS. Once they were briefed, it took about six months for the first prototype which was further iterated six times to reach the final product.
On how many mothers has it been tested?
Two major clinical studies were carried out on it. The first clinical trial of over two months was with all the mothers in the neonatal unit of the Paediatrics Department of AIIMS. Another test was run in St John’s Hospital, Bengaluru, evaluating Mamma Pod amongst three internationally available KMC jackets.
In which cases is Mamma Pod recommended?
Mamma Pod is for any mother who has birthed a child with a body weight less than the average. It is a solution that provides KMC, implying that the baby be kept between the breasts of the mother to receive ample heat from her body to develop, as long as the baby has attained the recommended weight of 2kg. The technique helps the child to emotionally bond with the mother. It is used for newborns suffering from hypothermia, who require an external heating system to keep their body warm. Moreover, not all Indian hospitals are equipped with an adequate number of incubators.
For how long can a mother keep the baby in the pod?
Mamma Pod can be used to give KMC to the baby for 24 hours, which means she can hold the baby close even while she is asleep. It is up to a mother and her consulting doctor as to how long she is allowed to provide KMC. Special support system has been provided with the help of ‘reinforced straps’ that uniformly distributes the baby weight over the shoulder area.
How much does it cost, and where to buy it from?
The product costs around Rs 400 per piece, and the price will go down as the volumes grow and the supply chain is put in place. These are not available in hospitals, so a mother needs to procure it on her own.