WAAA! is a text-based neonatal surveillance system developed by David Swann of the University of Huddersfield. It is a finalist project of UNICEF’s Wearables for Good Challenge.
Appearance, pulse, grimace, activity and respiratory data is captured, via a patch, during the first day of life. Any deterioration triggers an immediate text alert to a carer.
Globally, more than 1 million babies die on the first day of life – mostly due to preventable or treatable causes. The developers of WAAA! believe that helping babies survive the first day of life is the best way to reduce child mortality.
The technology is capable of monitoring multiple newborns at distances up to 40 miles. This can provide some level of care in the world’s poorest and least served regions.