Tragically, SIDS remains the leading cause of death for babies in the United States between 1-12 months of age. The peak age for SIDS death is 2 -4 months old. In fact, 90% of cases occur between 1 – 6 months.
While there remain numerous unanswered questions about the cause of SIDS and what can be done to prevent it, one thing is certain: nothing presently helps mitigate the threat of SIDS more than increased awareness. And a new mHealth solution is gaining attention in response to the awareness its raising in the effort to end SIDS.
The German-based Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM is behind a new wearable baby clothing that deploys highly malleable circuit boards made from polyurethane ironed into a child’s “romper suit.”
Parents and caretakers now have a sophisticated solution for monitoring breathing on the baby’s chest – a critical component of preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
“The circuit board we have developed can be manufactured using routine industrial processes, meaning a high throughput and, consequently, good cost-efficiency,” says Manuel Seckel, scientist at the IZM. “Furthermore, components can be positioned on it just as precisely as on a standard board thanks to the stability of the stretchable substrate during processing. This stands in contrast to textile-based electronics, where one can expect an offset of up to five millimeters over a half-meter area.”
While research into SIDS and its prevention continues, for now, a growing number of medical professionals believe that today’s leading mHealth technologies are among our best resources for combating SIDS.