This Smart Swaddle Gives Parents One Less Thing to Worry About
As a new parent, you probably have more things on your mind than you care to talk about. Jane Chen is here to check one of those worries off your list. She’s developed Little Lotus, a smart insulated swaddle that makes sure your baby’s sensitive body is always snuggled in at the right temperature.
Originally designed by NASA, the fabric used to make the cloths releases heat when your baby’s temperature rises and draws in heat when your babe’s body temperatures cools, making sure your baby is comfortable and stays at a steady temperature for as long as their little dreams last. There’s even a zipper at the bottom that makes diaper changing a breeze.
As great as this is for your baby, what makes Little Lotus so amazing is Chen’s Toms-like initiative. For every Little Lotus you buy, her incubator-like Embrace Warmer will be donated to help a baby in need. The warmth that your purchase gives is normally provided by expensive incubators that might not be readily available in developing nations. The Embrace Infant Baby Warmer accomplishes the same task at less than 1% of the cost of the standard technology. Not to mention, it’s totally portable.
Jane Chen was one of the attendees at the White House Maker Faire, and President Obama had a few things to say about the product: “An incredible story of a young woman who figured out how to make a cheap incubator that’s already helping 60,000 newbies around the world who can’t afford the sort of expensive equipment that we have in our hospitals. It gives you a sense that we are at the dawn of something big.” We couldn’t agree more. Mr. President. We couldn’t agree more.
While the Little Lotus is perfect for parents everywhere, the overall mission of the company is much greater: To make life safer, more comfortable and more humane for infants worldwide. Another after-effect of this product, as described by Chen in her very own Ted Talk, is population control. When women feel more confident about the survival of their infants, they feel the need to have fewer children out a sense of security for the ones they’ve already brought into the world. Safety, security and comfort are qualities we think all moms and babies should have.
Little Lotus has already met over 40% of their Kickstarter goal. If you’re expecting or know someone who is, grab your own with a pledge of $55, and you’ll end up keeping two babies warm. Warm fuzzies abound.
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