Low-Cost Incubators

In Jane Chen’s inspiring speech, she introduces her invention of a portable product, which is very similar in appearance to a sleeping bag, that serves as an incubator for newborn babies in developing countries.

Over 20 million babies are born premature every year, leading to 4 million deaths. Of the babies that do survive, they lack access to the necessary technology, such as incubators, to ensure a healthy development. Jane Chen explains how this leads to serious health problems for these babies in the future such as heart disease, slow cognitive development and diabetes. Inspired to change these discouraging statistics, Jane Chen set out to design a portable and low-cost incubator that mothers and midwives in rural areas of the developing world could access. She introduces a small sleeping bag that contains a wax-like substance that can be heated to provide the necessary warmth for newborn babies. Jane Chen’s solution is affordable, portable and extremely easy to use.