We were aiming to design an affordable, locally-accessible medical device that encloses newborns to prevent neonatal hypothermia.

Our design solution was made of plastic. Plastic was chosen because of its flexibility, insulating property and low density. A flexible material was needed to accommodate the movement in babies and the folding aspect of the design so it can act as a swaddle as shown on the left. The swaddle positioning was chosen as infants are most comfortable with it, particularly newborns. The solution has to be insulating to reduce drops in temperature for the baby along with it having a low density so it does not weigh down on the baby when it is wrapped around them, especially in premature babies who can weigh less than 5 pounds.

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