A group of researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) at Bengaluru have developed a device that works by constantly monitoring the baby’s body temperature and raise alert the doctor if it goes down below the threshold limit. The device is designed to stream temperature data to the treating paediatrician through a mobile phone so that immediate corrective measures could be taken as and when temperatures drop to dangerous levels.

The researchers have come up with a solution to reduce new-born deaths significantly. The solution addresses the issue of hypothermia, which is one of the major causes of neonatal deaths. Hypothermia is a medical condition where the body rapidly loses temperature. Premature babies, are highly vulnerable to develop the condition as they do not have enough body fat.

The device also consists of an accelerometer to keep a track of what angle the baby is being held.It has been tested successfully on 80 children. It has been developed in association with St Johns Research Institute and St. John’s Medical College in Bengaluru. The device would be particularly useful in rural areas, where there is lack of adequate neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).