Project Details
[Return to Previous Page]Newborn Fall Prevention With a Weight Sensor
Company: Penn State college of Medicine
Major(s):
Primary: CMPEN
Secondary: CMPSC
Optional: BME, ME
Non-Disclosure Agreement: YES
Intellectual Property: NO
Introduction: Breast milk and breastfeeding are the optimal choices for newborns, and most mothers are inherently motivated to breastfeed right after giving birth. It’s entirely natural for mothers, regardless of whether they’ve had a vaginal delivery or a cesarean section, to feel exhausted in the days following childbirth. This fatigue often leads to mothers unintentionally falling asleep during skin-to-skin care or breastfeeding sessions. Unfortunately, this can result in the baby slipping from their arms, risking severe and often life-threatening injuries. These incidents can occur even in hospital settings, despite the diligent monitoring by nurses. The Joint Commission reports 600-1600 such falls annually! Having a nurse around the clock is impractical, and relying on family members can be inconsistent due to their need to care for other children or responsibilities at home. Thus, a reliable monitoring device or sensor is essential that respects the mother's privacy while alerting her if she is at risk of falling asleep. This tool would prompt mothers to continue breastfeeding or safely place the infant in the bassinet for rest. Why Current Strategies Fall Short! The presence of a 24/7 nurse or assistant in the mother’s room is not feasible and would infringe on the mother's privacy. Additionally, hospital staff often face competing responsibilities, making it impossible to dedicate a considerable amount of time to one mother. Even regular check-ins from nurses during the night cannot prevent falls; we’ve witnessed babies fall just 15 minutes after a nurse's last check. Family members may not be able to stay consistently, and maternal exhaustion does not magically disappear after leaving the hospital—it remains a persistent challenge. Sleep science suggests that it is invariable. Relying on devices that monitor sleep patterns may provide alerts, but by the time a mother receives the notification, it may be too late; the infant may have already slipped. Project Aim: The purpose of this project is to design and prototype a weight-sensor alarm system for a newborn baby bassinet. Design: Weight sensor- A compact sensor capable of detecting a weight of 1.8 kg should be installed beneath each bassinet mattress. This sensor will connect to a discreet speaker on the bassinet's rim, equipped with a silencing button. The sensor activates whenever the baby is removed from the bassinet, triggering an audible beep every five minutes. If the caregiver does not respond, the beep's intensity will increase every 20 seconds. Once the baby is returned, the alert will cease. This automation eliminates compliance issues, as the system operates independently of caregiver input. Alternatively, when the infant is removed from the bassinet, an audible message is sent to the nurse's hospital phone, alerting her to check and monitor the baby until it is put back in the bassinet. This method can eliminate the nurse's frequent hourly monitoring, freeing her to focus on the aspects of care. This option also reduces maternal anxiety as silencing the alarm is not required frequently during feeding. Initially, a nurse will activate the alarm upon placement of the bassinet in the mother’s room and deactivate it upon discharge. This proactive measure helps prevent dangerous fall incidents. By Pradeep Alur, MD. Neonatologist
