Medical wrap for neonatal kangaroo care

Abstract

The invention is directed to a medical wrap for maintaining skin-to-skin contact between a wearer and a baby during kangaroo care and allowing passage of medical lines therethrough. The wrap is a single integral structure formed of a fabric and including a central portion having a top edge and a bottom edge; upper left and right members extending outwardly from the top edge of the central portion; and lower left and right members extending outwardly from the bottom edge of the central portion; wherein each of the upper members has a greater length compared to the length of each of the lower members.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001]The present invention relates generally to medical garments, particularly to a medical wrap for use in neonatal kangaroo care.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Newborn premature (i.e., born before the thirty-seventh week of gestation) and low weight babies face increased risk of complications and mortality. Such babies require extensive specialized care in a neonatal intensive care unit equipped with monitoring machines to record the heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, temperature, and the amount of oxygen in the blood (oximetry); alarm systems; various methods of respiratory assistance (for example, an endotracheal tube, ventilator or respirator, continuous positive airway pressure, oxygen hood); various methods of feeding (for example, intravenous lines, umbilical catheter, oral and nasal feeding, central line); protective, warming incubators; and Bili lights for treating jaundice. Multiple adhesive pads or cuffs are placed upon the chest, leg...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a medical wrap for neonatal kangaroo care that allows for skin-to-skin contact between the baby and the wearer during kangaroo care. The wrap has a single integral structure with a central portion and upper and lower members. The upper members are longer than the lower members and are designed to pass over the wearer's shoulders and encircle the wearer's waist. The lower members are modified to form loops that allow for the upper members to pass through. The upper members can be tied at the front or back of the wearer, and the lower members can be tied at the back of the wearer or underneath the pocket. The invention allows for easy application and adjustability for different wearers and babies.

Problems solved by technology

Newborn premature (i.e., born before the thirty-seventh week of gestation) and low weight babies face increased risk of complications and mortality.

However, such care typically results in the separation of the parents and premature or low weight baby, thereby disrupting the bonding process.

A lack of touch between the parent and baby causes release of high amounts of the toxic stress hormone cortisol which negatively impacts immune function and growth hormone.

Further, in developing countries, access to medical technologies may be limited or unavailable, resulting in mortality of premature babies due to lack of proper medical care.

However, the baby may easily shift from the proper position, and the parent may readily tire due to having to hold the baby continuously for at least one hour.

Various types of carriers, slings and wraps for infants have been developed but are inappropriate for kangaroo care.

Such carriers are unsuitable for premature and low weight babies since the pouch or pocket may be too large to be snug enough to support the baby's body, and stitched seams and plastic / metal fasteners may damage the baby's sensitive skin.

A ring sling is formed of a length of cotton fabric having two rings at one end, through which a free end threads through the rings to create a pouch which supports the baby; however, it is often difficult to achieve a close fit.

Pouch and ring slings suffer from lack of security for the baby who can easily fall or slip out of the fabric.

Further, as wrapping results in several overlapping layers, the baby can overheat but cannot be quickly removed from underneath these multiple layers.

As described above, prior art carriers, slings, and wraps are unsuitable for premature and low weight babies.

Further, they do not easily accommodate medical lines connected to the baby, or enable breast pumping and breastfeeding.

Images