Realizing New Possibilities for Breastfeeding
- The following is content from the press release -
Sumitomo Bakelite Corporation (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Shinichi Kajiya) has developed a baby feeding sensing device system. The newly developed product measures the baby's tongue movement and quantifies the baby's sucking ability, which is the baby's ability to move its mouth to drink breast milk. This enables mothers to objectively assess their baby's feeding ability and alleviate postpartum nursing concerns.
Development Background
While breastfeeding plays an important role in the health and growth of the baby, childcare can be a great burden for mothers if they do not know the state of sucking. Until now, understanding the state of sucking has often relied on a person's subjective senses, as there is no easy way to measure it. Against this background, the need for childcare support based on scientific evidence has been increasing in recent years.
About Mammalian Sensing Device Systems
Through joint research with Associate Professor Eri Nishi, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Setsunan University, Sumitomo Bakelite has succeeded in visualizing the sucking state of a baby using a newly developed sensor device. This technology enables an objective understanding of tongue movement during sucking, which will improve appropriate breastfeeding guidance. In a study conducted under the supervision of Professor Takeshi Arimitsu and Professor Kakushi Narumi of the Department of Pediatrics at Keio University School of Medicine, it was confirmed that using this device for breastfeeding guidance improved breastfeeding confidence by approximately 301 TP6T compared to normal breastfeeding guidance. The results indicated that the device contributes to reducing anxiety about childcare and improving psychological safety, and may be an effective tool in breastfeeding guidance.
Features of this product
The newly developed device uses our proprietary DuraQ® conductive paste*1 silicone rubber material. This makes the device highly flexible and provides a natural and comfortable fit. This material has a small change in resistance during repeated expansion and contraction, enabling stable acquisition of waveform data and improving the device's practicality. Another feature of the device is that two force sensors can be installed to evaluate motility in addition to tongue force.
Furthermore, PC software has been developed at the same time that enables a comprehensive understanding of lactation indices by combining the device's measurement results with the mother's and midwife's lactation check sheets. Midwives can receive advice while viewing these results. We are also developing a smartphone application that can be easily operated by midwives.
*1DuraQ® conductive paste
https://www.sumibe.co.jp/product/s-bio/custom/duraq/duraq-cp/index.html
Figure: Measurement results using a mammalian sensing device
How to Use Feeding Sensing Devices
- The midwife puts the device on the hand and inserts the pinky part with the sensor into the baby's mouth.
- Babies develop a sucking reflex, an inherent primitive response. This allows the sensor to measure tongue movement and visualize the baby's feeding ability.
- Lactation indexes are quantified and midwives provide data-based advice to mothers.The following is a list of the most common problems with the
Future Plans
This newly developed product will enable accurate advice based on scientific data and is expected to improve the quality of lactation guidance. It is also expected to promote the spread of breastfeeding by increasing mothers' sense of security.
Currently, using the results of effectiveness verification, we are introducing the service to postpartum care facilities and local governments, and are conducting a trial introduction at several facilities. Some of the facilities have begun offering the service for a fee, and we are aiming to launch the service in 2027.
In addition, we plan to enhance the functions of the application and promote its use in general households. In addition, we plan to use the tongue movement data obtained from this product to predict breast milk intake and conduct research on the relationship between tongue movement and disease. Furthermore, since tongue movement may be related to dysphagia and dysarthria in the elderly, we will promote its use not only in the infant market but also in the medical and welfare fields as a whole, aiming to achieve annual sales of over 6.5 billion yen through these developments.
Inquiry about this matter:
Sumitomo Bakelite Company, Limited S-Bio Division TEL: 03-5462-4831
Contact form: https://inquiry.sumibe.co.jp/m/j_s-bio
