Time Magazine 25 Best Inventions 2017

Bempu, a newborn hypothermia (monitor) wristband received the TIME award as one of the top 25 inventions of 2017.
Fat is a useful quality in babies. Without it, they can rapidly lose body heat, become hypothermic and develop breathing and other problems. But in areas with few resources, where the numbers of premature or low-weight births are high, most hospitals and clinics can’t afford incubators to keep babies warm, and most parents don’t know their babies are in danger until its too late. Bempu is a $28 light-up temperature-monitoring bracelet that fits on a baby’s wrist; it sounds an alarm and flashes orange if babies are too cold, so mothers can warm them against their skin or swaddle them. So far, the device has helped an estimated 10,000 newborns, mostly in India but also in 25 other countries. And earlier this year, it won a $2 million grant from Saving Lives at Birth to scale its distribution even wider.