The Preemie Pod:A Wearable Incubator Designed for Premature Infants to Engage in Kangaroo Care

Each year, over 15 million infants globally are born prematurely; 38,000 of these preterm infants are born in the United States (WHO, 2003). Each of these infants, along with full-term infants who are affected by specific health issues, receives care from Neonatal Intensive Care Units. While in the NICU many of these infants are confined to incubators that create a safe, controlled environment that helps them regulate their temperature and oxygen levels. These environments are helpful in the healing process, but the most productive healing zone for the majority of infants is while being held for skin-to-skin contact with a caretaker. This type of care is called kangaroo care and it is proven to help infants heal faster, bond more effectively with their parents, and lead to healthier lives after leaving the NICU (Gardner et al., 2011).