When a baby is born prematurely or with certain physical conditions, he or she may be unable to suck and swallow sufficiently to be fed by bottle or breast feeding. Making the transition from a feeding tube to normal oral feeding is typically a matter of trial and error as healthcare workers experiment when they think the child is ready.
The folks at NFANT Labs came up with a better solution. Their nfant Feeding Solution a smart device that attaches to a nursing bottle and measures the infant’s tongue movements during feeding. This data is sent wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet where it is relayed to the cloud for storage and analysis. The results can then be displayed and shared with physicians and other healthcare workers. The real-time results can be compared with historical data to monitor an infant’s progress. The device works with standard bottles and nipples, and is reusable.
The company recently announced that the device has received FDA clearance, and will start shipping this year.
