Cot rocker helps babies
When day nursery proprietor, Lynda Harding found herself struggling to get her newborn son to sleep, she decided to develop an idea that she had been nurturing for some time
Her early stage plans would develop into Easidream ®, a device that aims to soothe babies and helps them to sleep by simulating the rocking feeling of being cradled and the sounds of the womb. The motion is created by placing a thin pneumatic pad underneath a mattress in the baby’s cot. Soothing sounds and a warm, low light are delivered from a unit which clips to the side of the cot.
Lynda was put in touch with the University of Brighton towards the end of 2005. She discussed her initial design ideas with the Product Development Centre, then part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. The university's business services department helped Lynda to find funding for creating the initial prototypes for her idea. "We rigorously examined every possible way of creating the desired rocking movement, and produced several different prototypes so I could be sure I'd chosen the best method," said Lynda.
Lynda Harding, inventor of the Easidream
She also went to great lengths to find the optimum sounds to accompany the movement. With the help of the School of Nursing and Midwifery's foetal monitoring equipment, Lynda recorded the womb sounds and heartbeat of a pregnant woman. This was combined with household noise at the low sound frequencies of around 125 hertz that research shows babies predominantly hear when in the womb.
Armed with two prototypes, Lynda worked with the School of Nursing and Midwifery to undertake two-week pilot operational trials involving sixteen babies. The findings were very encouraging, indicating that in response to the movement of the cot, the time taken for babies to settle to sleep was reduced by up to 90% in some cases, with all babies remaining happily settled on their backs. Also, the average crying time of 18 minutes (self- reported by parents in a sleep log completed one week prior to the operational trial) was reduced to less than one minute when the baby was settled on the Easidream. This was very significant for the babies' parents.
Staff at the School of Nursing and Midwifery examined the benefits of the product in relation to national policy and guidelines on infant welfare, notably national advice on the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Early indications from the operational trails indicated that the Easidream encourages babies to fall asleep on their backs, which is the safest sleeping position for babies under 6 months. Because of this, it reduces the temptation for parents to lie their babies 'front down' in order to encourage sleep. It also means that parents might be less likely to sleep with the baby on the sofa, or in bed with them - factors that are all considered to be high risk.
The product launched in the second quarter of 2009 at a retail price of approximately £150.
"I really value the University of Brighton's input - I feel that the credibility I have gained from having my product trialled at the university is immense, particularly in such a sensitive sector."
Proprietor, Lynda Harding.
Easidream: www.easidream.co.uk
