This Cup Can Solve Breastfeeding Issues In Preterm Babies

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According to a WHO report, premature birth results in over a million neonatal deaths every year (1). Also, more than 7.5 million premature babies in Asia and Africa alone have trouble breastfeeding, which results in malnutrition and makes them highly susceptible to diseases.

All that can change with the NIFTY feeding cup invented by researchers in Seattle. A combined effort of Seattle Children’s hospital, PATH nonprofit organization and the University of Washington, this infant feeding device can help babies with breastfeeding difficulties survive.

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Making A World Of Difference For Babies In Developing Countries

Preterm babies are not born with all the skills that normal babies have and often fail to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing, which makes it difficult for them to breastfeed.

NIFTY cup project lead at PATH Trish Coffey says: “Infants who are preterm can have problems sucking.

“Their sucking reflex has not developed enough for them to be able to breastfeed successfully. The NIFTY cup allows them to drink breastmilk at a pace and flow that each individual infant establishes. This occurs because of the unique reservoir and flow channels that let infants lap the milk rather than have it poured down their throats.”

Newborns with cleft palates also have difficulty latching on to a nipple, because of which they don’t get the nourishment they need. This can be fatal, especially for babies in low-income families of Africa and Asia, who have very few alternatives to provide the nourishment that the baby needs. The NIFTY cup, which costs $1, provides an affordable solution.

Seattle Children’s Hospital craniofacial medicine head Dr. Michael Cunningham says: “Newborns with clefts were starving to death because they were unable to properly feed. We just knew that there had to be a simple intervention that could be life-changing for this population.”

Complete Nourishment With The $1 Cup

Image: credit: path

The NIFTY cup is an improved version of the Foley Cup Feeder (2), a feeding device invented by a Michigan dad, whose son had difficulty breastfeeding. The NIFTY cup is made of highly durable silicone and can be sterilized by boiling, which makes it safe to use.

New moms can express breast milk directly into the cup, which can hold up to 40 milliliters of milk (3). The cup has a uniquely shaped spout that allows the caregiver to control the pace of feeding and also prevents spillage, which is often a concern when babies are fed using regular utensils like coffee mugs, cups, and spoons. Lesser spillage also means reduced wastage of breast milk, a spoonful of which can make all the difference between starvation and complete nourishment for the baby.

NIFTY Cups To Be Made Available In Hospitals Across Africa Soon

The creators of the NIFTY cup are partnering with a non-profit manufacturer called Laerdal Global Health to produce and distribute the feeding cups at just $1 per piece.

The makers have tested the cup in a pilot study that involved successful feeding of 20 babies in India. Very soon, a clinical trial will also take place in Ethiopia. Following a formal evaluation, the inventors are keen to distribute the cost-effective cup to hospital workers in Africa, given that there aren’t many alternatives to prevent malnutrition and starvation in babies.

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