Description

Kangaroo Baby Warmer in Kenya

A Kangaroo baby warmer also known as a radiant baby warmer is a machine that used to maintain the body temperature of a newborn infant. This is best done so that the energy expended for metabolic heat production is minimized.

Hypothermia at birth is a leading risk factors for newborn morbidity and mortality. 99% of newborns that die globally succumb to hyporthermia. It is vital to keep newborns warm and help them achieve thermoregulation in order to prevent and minimize morbidities and mortalities due to hypothermia. This is where a radiant baby warmer becomes important.

Kangaroo Baby Warmer Specs and Price in Kenya

• Has a biocompatible bed
• An overhead heater
• Skin Temperature control range 32 to 38 degrees Centigrade
• Skin Temperature control accuracy  0.5 degrees centigrade
• Mattress Temp. sensor accuracy < 2 degrees centigrade
• Power supply 220V
• Power input 1000VA
• Skin Temperature sensor accuracy ±0.3 C
• Warm-up time 45 Min
• Mattress size 65cm (L)*54cm(W)
• Distance from heater to mattress 80cm

The Kangaroo Baby Warmer price in Kenya is Ksh. 325,000.

You can order here at Medistus Limited which is based in Nairobi, Kenya. You can also call or message Medistus limited on +254 728 479 055 to place your order.

How a Radiant Baby Warmer Works

The device consists of a biocompatible bed on which to place the infant, and an overhead heater that delivers radiant heat. A skin temperature probe monitors infant temperature. Heat output can be controlled manually or through baby mode (feedback mode) for thermoregulation. Visual and audio alarms are present for safety.

An APGAR timer helps to efficiently take APGAR scores post-delivery. Heat has a tendency to flow in the heat gradient direction that is from high temperature to low temperature. The heat loss in some newborn babies is rapid; hence body warmers provide an artificial support to keep the body temperature constant.

A heating element generates a significant amount of radiant energy in the far IR wavelength region (longer than three microns to avoid damaging the infant’s retina and cornea). The radiant output of the heating unit is also limited to prevent thermal damage to the infant.

The IR energy is readily absorbed by the infant’s skin; increased blood flow in the skin then transfers heat to the rest of the body by blood convection (heat exchange between the blood and tissue surfaces) and tissue conduction (heat transfer between adjacent tissue surfaces).

The heat output of this machine is usually regulated by servo-control to keep the skin temperature constant at a site on the abdomen where a thermistor probe is attached. The minimal oxygen consumption under a radiant warmer is the same or perhaps slightly higher than it is for the same infant in an incubator.

Compared with incubators, the partition of body heat loss is quite different under radiant warmers. Kangaroo warmers increase convective and evaporative heat loss and insensible water loss but eliminate radiant heat loss or change it to net gain.

A heat shield of thin polyethylene film can be used with a radiant warmer to reduce heat loss by convection and evaporation. Most infants can be safely and adequately cared for in either incubator or radiant warmer bed.

Operation Procedure of a Radiant Baby Warmer

1. The device is usually pre-warmed in manual mode for at least four minutes
2. The infant is then placed on the bed mattress and the skin temperature probe is attached
3. The operator then switches to baby mode (feedback) and enters the desired baby temperature
4. The APGAR timer and observation light can be switched on as needed
   

Advantages of a Kangaroo Baby Warmer

• The main advantage of this device is the easy access it provides to critically-ill infants without disturbing the thermal environment
• Reduces mortality rates related to hypothermia in newborn babies
• Allows all around access
• Provides a uniform central thermal environment

Disadvantages of a Kangaroo Baby Warmer

• Its major disadvantage is the increase in insensible water loss produced by the radiant warmer

Economical and Suitability

The radiant baby warmer uses less power at startup and during operation compared to other machines. It is designed for infection control (e.g. non-stitch biocompatible mattress for no infections in stitches plus no need for a mattress cover).

It has a faster warmup time for high volume environments with little pre-warming. Over 1500 warmers have been deployed in low-resource settings. The device has been designed, developed and manufactured in India based on extensive customer input in India and similar countries.

It has been adopted in Tier 2 and 3 towns in Kenya and other countries in Africa. Testing of the device includes protocols that try to simulate low-resource setting issues such as voltage fluctuations, high humidity etc.

You can check other types of baby warmers available in Kenya and sold here on Medistus Limited.