It’s not new news that babies develop better and faster when they are close to their mother. Human contact is comforting, and in unknown ways, our bodies can synchronize when need be. If a baby’s body begins to get too cold, when held skin to skin, our body will become warmer to warm the baby’s body. The familiar sound of the mother’s heartbeat is soothing, and can comfort an unsettled baby.
The truth is, babies are designed to need to be close to their mother for safety, security, nourishment and growth. Skin to skin contact, otherwise known as “kangaroo care” will help co-regulate the baby’s temperature, breathing, and heart rate.
This type of bonding has proven to be detrimental in early development, especially when babies are born prematurely. Babies who are born too early often have difficulties regulating their own bodies, and being alone in an incubator for extended periods of time can cause their health to decline.
The purpose of the Hugsy is to help simulate some of this familiar stimulus, so the baby has a better chance of bonding, better brain development, reduced stress, deeper sleep, and better immunity.
How Does Hugsy Work?
Hugsy is a smart blanket, that can simulate the mother’s (or father’s) embrace. This provides comfort to babies even when their parents are not able to remain nearby. Hugsy combines the most important features of a parent’s touch, including their warmth, smell, and their heartbeat.
Hugsy’s evidence based design has won several design awards, and is already being used in Dutch hospitals and homes during the clinical trial period.
- Kangaroo Care – The hugsy blanket is used to support cuddle sessions, while holding the baby skin to skin against a parent’s chest. During this time, the blanket will absorb the comforting smell of the parent, while keeping the baby warm.
- Heartbeat Recording – During these cuddling sessions, the Hugsy will record the parent’s unique heartbeat, which is stored in the module so it can be played back.
- Continuous Comfort – Hugsy continues to provide a parent’s soothing presence even when they aren’t nearby. It does this by recreating the parents embrace, offering the parent’s soothing smell, and playing back the soothing sound of the parents recorded heartbeat.
The beautiful thing about the Hugsy is that it was designed to use both at the hospital, and at home. Although premature babies often lack the secure warmth and touch of a parent because of medical intervention, full term healthy babies benefit from the same care and comfort.
Hugsy Home
The Hugsy Home model is designed to allow babies from 0-3 months old to be comforted as they would while being held. Hugsy promoted kangaroo care between a parent and a baby, and allowing those feelings of being held to be recreated in the crib. The baby will feel comforted by the warmth, smell, and simulated parent heartbeat. The Hugsy will allow for a longer, more comforting sleep for the baby.
Hugsy Hospital
The Hugsy Hospital model is designed to promote kangaroo care as it is of vital importance to premature baby’s development. Babies born prematurely often should spend weeks, or even months in an incubator, meaning they are away from their parents for much of their stay. This can have a negative effect on the progression of these vulnerable babies.
Hugsy supports kangaroo care in the hospital so that these babies can receive the best comfort and care possible. Hugsy particularly helps the transition from the incubator to the arms of a caregiver, and fits easily into the incubator with the baby. This prevents the startling temperature changes.
*Hugsy Hospital is not available yet, it is still in a trial phase in the Netherlands
Hugsy was originally developed by students to support babies and their well-being. Through accelerator programs, enough money was invested to begin production. The Hugsy model is in the beginning phases of production, while the Hospital phase awaits approval to be used as a medical device, the home model has been bought and used by new parents.
The purpose of developing the Hugsy was to give new babies and parents an opportunity to bond, even through a difficult time like premature birth or health difficulties that could make being together impossible during the most critical times of development. It just isn’t always possible for parents to be there all the time, nor is it reasonable to think hospital staff can provide the type of kangaroo care that a new infant needs.
Now new babies can have the comfort of a warm embrace, with the familiar smell of a parent, and the sound of a heartbeat to support the baby and aid in the crucial security and development required during the first few months of life.
How To Order Hugsy
Hugsy is still in the development stages and cannot be purchased online yet. Please place yourself on their mailing list for important updates.
