Is called Iria Ollero, is 19 years old, is from Orense and studies Biomedical Engineering. Two years ago, while attending a workshop at the Galician Technology Center (Tecnópole), as an extracurricular activity, decided to develop a research project that would help prevent sudden infant death. As a result: four preventive devices that measure the temperature, position and pulse of newborns.
His system, called 'Baby Safety', continues to accumulate awards. We wanted to talk to Iria and find out what motivated a teenager to be interested in a problem so serious that it affects babies.
"I wanted to contribute my grain of sand"
Iria explains that she joined Tecnópole's classrooms, like one more extracurricular. There he went with 39 other students like her, three hours a week. As part of the workshop he had to develop a research project, so he considered several ideas with his tutor, David Ballesteros.
"My mother had already told me about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) but it was when I read a story about a real case when I thought about the possibility of creating something that could help prevent it from happening, in contributing my grain of sand ".
He comments that he was informed about the subject and discovered that according to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP), one to three out of every 1,000 newborns are "It is the first cause of death between the month and the year of life in developed countries". And, the cause that causes it is unknown, although risk factors are known, and "That's where I could help."
In Babies and more The 16 things you should do to prevent sudden death of the babyThe association of Pediatrics defines the SMSL as "Sudden death of an infant less than one year old, whose cause remains unexplained after a thorough investigation of the case that includes complete autopsy, examination of the place of death and review of the medical history".
How does 'Baby Safety' work?
As he has confessed, Iria developed the project in just eight months, from January to August 2018, with the help of his tutor. Although to get it he had to spend more time.
'Baby Safety' controls three of the parameters that doctors recommend to observe to reduce the risk of sudden infant death: baby's pulse, his position in the crib (always on his back) and the temperature of the room, making sure that It is not very warm.
- A device with ten pressure sensors are placed under the baby and notify if you are in an incorrect position.
In Babies and more Babykeeper, a mattress that helps prevent sudden death and warns you if your baby has a fever Another device, attached to an infrared camera, detects the baby's face. If he can't find it, he is in a bad position, and he blows the alarm.
One third measure the temperature so that parents can develop the newborn if the device (a kind of thermal camera that creates a heat map when measuring 64 different points) indicates that the baby is too hot.
The room is a kind of body for babies, which can be washed, and measure the pulse in the armpit area. If it detects any irregularity, it sends an immediate alarm to the parent's mobile.
Iria has confirmed to us that "It has been tested on adults, asking them to adopt certain positions, and they work well." It remains to be checked in babies and there are already companies, as he has recognized, that have contacted her, with the idea of being able to market her invention.
For now, your design continues to accumulate awards and recognitions in all state science fairs to which it is presented, as Tecnópole reports: having been recognized in the Catalan Exporecerca as the favorite among the participants, he recently won the first prize at the Don Bosco Awards, in Zaragoza.
In addition, Iria also won with this project in 2018 the first prize at the Open Science fair in Cambre (A Coruña) in the Baccalaureate category, which allowed it to take its innovative device to the ZienziaAtzoca (Euskadi).
The inventor ensures:
"Fortunately the rate of sudden infant deaths in Spain has fallen, thanks to the recommendations of experts who detect where the risks are. But the numbers are still high in other countries, so I would like my invention to reduce even more cases of SIDS here and help out newborns, to avoid these unexplained deaths. "
And, while it is time to bring it closer to the public, Iria recognizes that she is already working on another project that has nothing to do with babies, since there are many fields that attract her "and he still doesn't know where to throw". It has only advanced us that "is related to the brain".
Undoubtedly, it seems that this researcher has a great future ahead and we are sure that we continue to hear about her. We hope that, shortly, about a large number of babies who avoid premature death thanks to their invention, in which He has only invested 170 euros, an insignificant amount that can save lives.
Photos | Assigned by Iria Ollera
