Proof of concept simple conductive thread stitch sensor to measure the duration of kangaroo care

Abstract

Throughout the world thousands of infants are born each day according to the World Health Organization. All infants can benefit from the use of Kangaroo Care (KC) or bare skin-to-skin contact between caregiver and infant. One of the key principles to getting the most from KC is that is must be performed for at least one hour according to the World Health Organization. Yet, the duration of KC is rarely measured. This study explores the use of a simple device, a conductive thread stitch sensor coupled with a pair of magnets and a microcontroller, to measure the duration of KC automatically. For this study, a single subject used the sensor with a specific KC garment and performed KC with a weighted doll. It was determined, that when comparing manual timed values of the duration of KC to the sensor values, there was 6.43±5.67% average percentage difference. This proof of concept shows that this simple device can be used to determine the duration of KC in an effective manner.