Background
In 2015, Oboro's son developed symptoms of jaundice soon after birth. The nearby hospital had five phototherapy units; however, two were already in use and the other three were inoperable. Once he was in a phototherapy unit, a power outage led to him developing severe jaundice for which he received an emergency blood transfusion. Jaundice affects more than 60% of newborns throughout the world, with the most serious cases requiring phototherapy. In Nigeria, it is estimated that fewer than 5% of medical facilities have sufficient phototherapy devices to treat the condition. Approximately 100,000 infants die annually from jaundice, with many more experiencing permanent injuries. After Oboro's son recovered, she and her husband began their Tiny Hearts Technology company to work on the development of a portable crib that could use solar power to provide phototherapy to jaundiced infants.Description
Oboro was assisted by her husband's experience with solar energy and a pediatrician who helped ensure the device met phototherapy guidelines and was safe. Manufactured in Nigeria and using local materials, Crib A'Glow is affordable, retailing at $360 compared to $2,000 for other phototherapy units used in Nigeria. Phototherapy devices used in developed countries have common side effects such as skin burns, dehydration, and rashes. Crib A'Glow avoids these side effects through the use of LED lights. The portable unit is particularly useful in remote areas where access to electricity can be limited or inconsistent. Crib A'Glow is in use at hundreds of hospitals in Nigeria and Ghana and has treated about 300,000 babies as of December 2021.Awards
References
{{reflist , refs= {{cite news , publisher=Bizcommunity , date=September 5, 2019 , title=Champions of Science Africa Innovation Challenge announced , id={{ProQuest, 2284819722 {{cite web , last=Cairns , first=Rebecca , title=This Nigerian tech startup is fighting baby jaundice with solar-powered cribs , website=CNN , date=February 22, 2022 , url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/21/africa/nigeria-neonatal-jaundice-solar-power-crib-intl-hnk-spc/index.html , access-date=March 15, 2022 {{cite web , last=Griffin , first=Jo , title=Engineering the future: meet the Africa prize shortlist innovators , website=the Guardian , date=December 27, 2021 , url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/dec/27/engineering-the-future-meet-the-africa-prize-shortlist-innovators , access-date=March 15, 2022 {{cite web , last=Kangethe , first=Joseph , title=Great minds who won The 2022 African Prize for Engineering Innovation , website=The Exchange , date=February 2, 2022 , url=https://theexchange.africa/tech-business/african-prize-for-engineering-innovation/ , access-date=March 15, 2022 {{cite web , last=Rabbitt , first=Meghan , title=6 Entrepreneurs Whose Savvy Innovations Could Boost Healthcare Across Africa , website=Content Lab U.S. , date=September 5, 2019 , url=https://www.jnj.com/innovation/meet-the-healthcare-start-ups-that-won-the-africa-innovation-challenge-2-0 , access-date=March 15, 2022 {{cite web , title=2022 , website=Royal Academy of Engineering , date=December 3, 2021 , url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/global/sustainable-development/africa-prize/current-and-recent-awardees/2022 , access-date=March 15, 2022 , archive-date=March 17, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317222613/https://www.raeng.org.uk/global/sustainable-development/africa-prize/current-and-recent-awardees/2022 , url-status=dead {{cite web , title=Nigerian Mom Designs Solar-Powered Cribs That Put an End to Baby Jaundice Disease , website=The Scotfree , date=March 10, 2022 , url=https://thescotfree.com/health/nigerian-mom-designs-solar-powered-cribs-that-put-an-end-to-baby-jaundice-disease/ , access-date=March 15, 2022 {{Dead link, date=December 2023 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes {{cite news , publisher=Targeted News Service , date=December 5, 2020 , title=U.S. Chamber Recognizes Three Nigerian-Based Startups With Digital Innovation Awards at U.S.-Nigeria Digital Economy Conference , id={{ProQuest, 2467345742 Healthcare in Nigeria Medical technology