This $1 Cup Could Prevent 76 Lakh Premature Infants In Asia And Africa From Starving

A Seattle-based health technology firm has invented an innovative feeding cup for providing breastmilk to millions of newborns and premature babies, particularly to those born with cleft palate (a split or opening in the roof of the mouth).

Cleft palate is a major deformity among babies that and happens during their birth. This problem restricts them to suck milk from their mother’s breast properly, with chances of a one-third portion of the milk getting spilled.

The $1 cup can save 7.6 million premature infants in Asia and Africa from being malnourished, once it hits the market later this year.

The NIFTY cup, which stands for Neonatal Intuitive Feeding Technology is an invention by Michael Cunningham, head of craniofacial medicine at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Micheal found that millions of children born with cleft palate lose out on nutrition intake due to the massive spillage of breastmilk. So he came up with the idea of this 40-ml NIFTY cup. A mother can squeeze breast milk directly into the cup and feed the baby with it. The babies will be able to sip the milk at their own pace. The cup reduces the amount of spillage as it has some unique flow channels.

Such a product comes at a time when researchers are giving more importance to breast milk.

According to a Lancet study, If the cup enables every mother to feed their child all around the world, then it will significantly prevent the death of at least 8 lakh children under the age of five.

The NIFTY cup is expected to reach hospital workers in Africa later this year.

The innovation has won an award worth $2,50,000 from several groups including Bill and Melinda Foundation and USAID as funds for research.

The Logical Indian applauds Michael Cunningham for coming up with this invention and we hope this reaches to the needy people in Asia and Africa.