the idea
135 million births per year
15 million premature
15% of all newborns experience feeding difficulty, the cost is high
but still no 21st century feeding tools and no data
tradition and experience are all we have
Our focus is babies failing to thrive.
Neonatal Intensive Care
NICU patients are the most important beneficiaries of monitored feeding. Feeding difficulties heavily influence the duration and cost of their care prior to discharge.
Oral Feeding Triage
A NICU newborn has to be screened for oral feeding ability so that non-oral feeding methods can be employed when oral feeding is compromised. Currently, this screening is by observation. The Thrive feeding monitor will bring feeding ability into the clinical record and provide a data-driven screening method. Where breast-feeding is the goal, the monitor will enable assessment of the baby’s intrinsic feeding ability so that any difficulties may be more readily attributed to causes.
Progress Monitoring
The Thrive monitor will enable the feeding ability of the infant to be consistently measured and charted using performance data to a level of detail that permits co-ordination, strength and stamina issues to be identified.
Discharge Screening
An important requirement for discharge is full oral feeding, either by breast or bottle. The Thrive monitor will permit the development and application of objective criteria that accelerate discharge and reduce readmissions.
Children’s Hospitals and Birthing Clinics
Full-term babies in robust health are less vulnerable to feeding issues and are likely to be discharged soon after birth. The monitor will definitively confirm feeding health and permit discharge with a higher level of confidence and lower probability of re-admission. By sending the monitor home with the baby, hospitals will be able to monitor nutrition levels, provide remote medicine and maintain the baby’s medical record automatically.