Our Mission
Global Newborn Solutions™ develops medical innovations to address the most vital components of neonatal health and survival in resource limited settings.
The Need for Action
When Dr. Hansen first started working on neonatal wards in rural Rwanda in 2010, she was surprised and frustrated to learn that hypothermia was a major obstacle to the care of newborns. Confronting startlingly high rates of hypothermia and hyperthermia – both of which can be dangerous – she struggled to find solutions.
About a third of the newborns were admitted cold, and almost all the preterm babies were cold at various points during their hospital stay. Skin To Skin (STS), also called Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC),was wonderful and worked much better than the few available incubators, but many babies remained cold despite STS. Mothers with twins or triplets found it challenging to keep all their babies warm. Babies would sometimes be admitted to the neonatal ward without their mothers because the mothers were sick and had to stay in Labor and Delivery. Even if babies were admitted with their mothers, the babies were often sick; healthcare workers had to watch their breathing and they needed to have IVs started and be on respiratory support, none of which worked well in combination with the positioning of STS. The babies who survived grew slowly because they had to divert precious calories to staying warm. Dr. Hansen worried especially about their brain growth during this critical time in neurodevelopment.
About a third of the newborns were admitted cold, and almost all the preterm babies were cold at various points during their hospital stay. Skin To Skin (STS), also called Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC),was wonderful and worked much better than the few available incubators, but many babies remained cold despite STS. Mothers with twins or triplets found it challenging to keep all their babies warm. Babies would sometimes be admitted to the neonatal ward without their mothers because the mothers were sick and had to stay in Labor and Delivery. Even if babies were admitted with their mothers, the babies were often sick; healthcare workers had to watch their breathing and they needed to have IVs started and be on respiratory support, none of which worked well in combination with the positioning of STS. The babies who survived grew slowly because they had to divert precious calories to staying warm. Dr. Hansen worried especially about their brain growth during this critical time in neurodevelopment.
Our Solution – The DreamWarmer™
Determined to address this problem upon returning home, Dr. Hansen partnered with engineers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to devise a non-electric skin temperature heating pad that is easy to prepare, use, and clean. The heating pad is designed to complement STS when available and to serve as a stand-alone external heat source when the mother is sick or otherwise unavailable.
We began experimenting with various designs, always collaborating with the Rwanda Ministry of Health and Rwandan health care providers. After many modifications and improvements, we designed The DreamWarmer™, which has now been field-tested with extremely positive results and rave reviews from nurses and mothers.
The DreamWarmer™ has the potential to overcome many of the limitations encountered by current alternatives. It serves as a complement to STS and allows for easy medical access and treatment. The device can be used in a medical setting, during transport, or at home – either alone, or in combination with STS.
We began experimenting with various designs, always collaborating with the Rwanda Ministry of Health and Rwandan health care providers. After many modifications and improvements, we designed The DreamWarmer™, which has now been field-tested with extremely positive results and rave reviews from nurses and mothers.
The DreamWarmer™ has the potential to overcome many of the limitations encountered by current alternatives. It serves as a complement to STS and allows for easy medical access and treatment. The device can be used in a medical setting, during transport, or at home – either alone, or in combination with STS.
Our Goal is for the DreamWarmer™ to Reach Hypothermic Newborns Across the Globe
Created in partnership with the Rwanda Ministry of Health, Partners In Health / Inshuti Mu Buzima, and the Rwandan Pediatric Association, the DreamWarmer™ is currently being used in Rwanda, Malawi, and Chiapas Mexico in a research setting. Once we have completed Phase IV study and secure Rwandan FDA approval, we will roll it out to hospitals, health centers, and transport ambulances across the entire country.
Where We’re Going
We will then expand to African countries in relative proximity to Rwanda, as well as other countries with critical needs whose health ministries have prioritized maternal and newborn survival. Our near term expansion goal includes:
Then, we plan to reach other countries with critical needs such as Haiti, India, Nepal, Cameroon and Kenya.
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Sierra Leone
Then, we plan to reach other countries with critical needs such as Haiti, India, Nepal, Cameroon and Kenya.
