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Project Overview

The Challenge

About 3,500 babies are lost every year in the U.S. to sleep related deaths, also known as a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  One of the main causes of SIDS - mothers and/or fathers sleeping in the same bed as their baby - has not declined over the years and has instead increased significantly.  I was in awe with this dilemma, and challenged myself to create a product that could instead reverse the numbers.  Through strenuous research, meeting with professionals that deal with SIDS first hand, surveying parents of infants and toddlers, expanding my knowledge of ergonomics to ensure the creation of a safe product for babies, I am in the midst of thoughtfully and carefully designing 3 products, an app and 2 wearable products, that could help the fight against SIDS. 

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*Note:  Due to COVID-19, my project has been cut short and put on pause for the time being.  User research that requires face-to-face interaction is on pause, as well as 3D printing.  The SIDS app and wearable product is still in the developing stages due to COVID-19, and due to an important project I was asked to develop with a team that could help doctors and nurses battle COVID-19 (project is not on portfolio as it is a team invention).*  

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My Role

User Researcher, UX Designer, Product Designer

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Deliverables and Technique

SIDS info:  research, research from the Michigan Attorney General Child Abuse & Neglect department

3D Product Design: research, user research, survey, research with a NICU OBGYN doctor, wireframe sketches, 3D printing, OnShape

App Design:  wireframes, IA, content management 

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Project is still in progress.  Below you will find my in-progress work. 

Understanding the Problem

Lets dig into the problem a little more.  SIDS lies as the 3rd leading cause of infant mortality in the U.S, behind the 2nd leading cause of disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, and the 1st leading cause of congenital malformation, both of which are disorders caused at the time of birth.

 

However, SIDS is the #1 leading cause of infant mortality that is preventable.  Yet it still occurs in large numbers for something that is preventable.  According to an attorney that handles child abuse and neglect cases for the Michigan Attorney General, she claims that about half her cases are SIDS related—from mothers wrapping their baby in blankets, to sleeping with their baby and thus crushing and suffocating them to death, to positioning their baby on its stomach as opposed to its back, and more.   

 

To tackle a death that is preventable, I dug into research, put my thinking cap on, and gathered all that I could to further discover the problem at hand, in goals to design a product that could help save infant lives. 

SIDS Research

Important pointers from my research.  Research is based on U.S. statistics, and the state of Michigan when noted. 

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For your knowledge, safe sleep of an infant requires:

  • baby placed on back for sleep 

  • baby does not share bed with anyone 

  • baby has firm mattress

  • baby has no soft bedding (no blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, bumper pads, sleep positioners, etc). 

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SIDS is the #1 cause of infant deaths that is preventable 

  • ~3,500 babies in the US are lost to sleep-related deaths (SIDS) each year 

  • SIDS = the 3rd leading cause of infant mortality, but the 1st leading cause that is preventable, accidental, and caused by others.  

  • In 2015, 1 in 5 mothers reported placing baby on side or stomach to sleep 

  • A baby dies nearly every other day in the state of Michigan from an unsafe sleep environment 

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A primary SIDS problem: bed sharing

  • 61.4% of mothers reported bed sharing with their baby in 2015

  • There is a growing trend of more mothers sleeping with their baby in the U.S.  In 1993: 6% of mothers slept with their baby in the same bed.  In 2015: 24% of mothers slept with their baby in the same bed

  • After analyzing data on 8,207 infants from 24 states that occurred between 2004 and 2014, researchers determined that 74% of deaths in babies younger than 4 months occurred in a bed-sharing situation

  • Michigan 2010-2015: 47% of babies were found in adult bed at time of death

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SIDS is an educational and racial dilemma

  • Black mothers, mothers younger than 25, or mothers that had 12 years or less of education in the U.S. are more likely to place babies on stomach or side to sleep 

  • Only 55% of mothers in the U.S. report receiving correct safe sleep info during pregnancy & baby care visits, 20% report receiving no info, and 25% report receiving incorrect info

  • In Michigan, the rate of sleep-related infant deaths for African American infants is more than 3x the rate of White infants

  • In Michigan, the rate of sleep-related infant deaths for American Indian infants is more than 2x the rate of White infants

  • In Michigan, 84% of college educated mothers place baby on back to sleep

  • In Michigan, 74% of high school educated mothers place baby on back to sleep

  • In Michigan, 82% of White, Asian, & Hispanic mothers place baby on back to sleep

  • In Michigan, 59% of Black mothers place baby on back to sleep

The issue with infant safe sleep has gone as far back as the 1500s. 

"Any woman who kept an infant less than 1 year old in her bed...is ipso facto excommunicated."  Declared by the Catholic church in 1576. 

Mothers and children have a natural hormonal reaction when around each other...they are drawn to each other.  That natural connection is hard to separate.

If doctors haven't been successful in encouraging mothers (or fathers) to sleep separate from their baby, how can we work around that dilemma?

And what about other factors that end in same-sleep situations?

 Like accidentally dozing off with their baby on a sofa or bed?  

Or passing out drunk or high with their baby next to them?  

Or simply being uneducated on safe-sleep?

With my backpack full of research and my mind full of ideas, I endeavored to begin my design work on a product that addresses the many challenges that lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome of unsafe sleep.  

Product Ideation

Identifying the Problems

  • "Natural" SIDS 

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  • Accidental SIDS

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  • Uneducated SIDS

parent dozed off, forgot to take blanket out of crib, is drunk, is high,...

mother or father simply is uneducated about infant safe sleep 

snuggling, cuddling, sleeping w/ baby = natural, hormonal response between mother & baby

We Need a Product That...

  • Addresses ALL problems above 

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  • Stops the fatal risk of the problematic actions, instead of trying to stop the problematic actions themselves

Product Concept

1)  2 wearable gadgets - 1 for the parent, 1 for the baby - that measure pulse.

Parent Gadget

smart bracelet.png

  • Collects pulse of parent

  • Gadget alarms parent when:

    • baby's pulse is low​ 

    • parent is drifting to a sleep with their baby next to them 

Baby Gadget

smart bracelet.png

  • Collects pulse of baby

  • Gadget alarms:​​

    • as backup to the parent's gadget alarm â€‹

    • if the parent's gadget is off or uncharged

2)  An App that works the magic behind the 2 gadgets

iphonenb_edited.png

  • Records baby's O2 levels, BPM, sleep, and more

  • Accessible alarm settings for gadgets

  • Educational feature on safe sleep

  • A hub for baby health info 

Baby Gadget 

Behind the scenes of creating a user-friendly baby gadget.  

infant4_edited_edited.png

Ergonomics, Considerations, & Research Topics

User Research

Research on Current Baby Products

non-toxic materials

isn't prohibited by clothing

liquid-proof & chew-proof

baby skin safety & sensitivity

non-choking risk

pulse

survey taken by parents of infants

64% of parents prefer their baby to wear an ankle bracelet

concerns, ideas, opinions, & personal experiences  were expressed 

user feedback

where similar products fall short, their issues, lack of user friendliness, faulty function

Parent Gadget 

Behind the scenes of creating a user-friendly parent gadget.  

Ergonomics, Considerations, & Research Topics

daily life

washing dishes

jewelry

interference

clothing

interference

sizing of product differs by user

comfort

skin safe materials 

forgetting to put on gadget

pulse

etc...

mother4_edited.png

Accessibility

being able to notify/alarm parents with disabilities 

Alarms

alarms that will guarantee waking of parent 

User Research

survey taken by parents of infants

74% of parents prefer to wear a wrist bracelet

concerns, ideas, opinions, & personal experiences  were expressed 

3D Printing, Prototyping, User Testing

My product development came to a halt due to COVID-19, so as of right now, the next steps to this project are on hold. 

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Future Steps & Goals

  1. 3D Print gadgets           print multiple prototypes to explore & test different designs

  2. Prototyping           have prototypes ready for user testing

  3. User Testing           test prototypes on users

  4. More Prototyping           refine prototypes based on user feedback

  5. Building End Product           achieve end product after constant user testing, refinements, collaborations, research, and other necessary steps. 

App

An app will work the magic behind the 2 gadgets, providing information and tools that will exceed users' expectations, and elevate their experience not with just the app, but as a mother or father as well. 

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Main Features of the App

  1. Records Data Collected by Baby Gadget 

    • pulse​​/heart rate (bpm)

    • O2 levels 

    • sleep

  2. Alarm Settings for Gadgets

    • The parent gadget will have 3 different types of alarms, for accessibility and preference purposes.  In the app, the user will be able to select what alarm(s) they prefer; they may select just 1 type of alarm, 2 types, or all 3 to occur simultaneously.

  3. Educational Feature

    • information on safe sleep and other baby precautions 

  4. Records

    • medical records, doctor records, personal notes, and more ​

Lo-Fi and Hi-Fi Wireframes

The lo-fi wireframes of the app are in-the-works, and are almost completed.  My next steps are the hi-fi wireframes with user testing. 

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Stay tuned to see the completed project.  Due to COVID-19, the timing of the completion of my project is currently unknown.  Health and safety come first, as always. 

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What I have learned through these challenging times:  

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  • check in on family and friends

  • channel in on the little things to be thankful for

  • be mindful of your actions and how they impact others

  • choose love and understanding over anger and frustration

  • hold on to faith

  • be a shoulder for someone to lean on

  • choose inner-thoughts and actions that reflect your values

  • adjust to life's challenges with grace at your own pace 

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