Sibour's Homemade Incubator - How Safe Is This Medical Equipment for Newborn Babies?

Babies apparently need to stay inside the mother's womb for an average of 9 months or about 37 weeks. But due to some reasons, expected mothers especially pregnant teenagers would give birth before time. Based on studies, infants who were born prior to 37 weeks pregnancy or premature babies are usually at risk to variety of medical problems at the same time has greater possibility to the die in the initial year of life. It is because many of their organs are still in the developing stage and not yet ready for the environment outside the womb. This is also the reason why incubators are very essential to preterm birth babies.

The said medical equipment has the capacity to maintain the same warmth, humidity as with the atmosphere inside the mother's womb. It also helps in maintaining the right amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen content at the same time allows enter of food and administration of medicines, which are all essential in the growth of newborn babies' organs until they become mature enough to adapt the environment outside the womb or the postnatal survival. Lastly, neonatal incubator is designed to limit the exposure of premature babies to germs that might cause infection. But recently, a traditional birth attendant and herbalist from Kenya named Alice Sibour was featured in CNN because of its invented ways of caring newborn babies. One thing in her clinic that caught attention to many people her own version of incubator, which is based on report helps premature babies of Mathare slum. The neonatal medical equipment that Sibour did basically needs pillows to serve as mattress, blankets to wrap the baby, two small containers of hot water to be placed underneath the bed, a mosquito net to cover the entire bed.

Sibour's home-produced medical equipment for neonatal incubation is probably the best solution in order for preterm birth children survive especially if they are living in countries wherein access to healthcare service is very limited, just like in Kenya. But if this medical equipment for incubation will be carefully inspected, many health specialists for sure will have doubt about its capability to control contamination. In the first place, mosquito net is not enough to trap all airborne particles that would cause infection. The said device also lacks the ability to maintain oxygenation that is par with the mother's womb. Moreover, it is already stated that the purpose of incubating a premature baby is to provide the same amount of heat that they acquire while inside the mother's womb. The said warmth is very essential for the development of their organs. With that two small containers of hot water placed underneath the bed, its capacity to provide heat greater than the core body temperature (37.5 degrees Celsius) is obviously questionable.