Stretcher being developed to prevent baby deaths in ambulances

A new device is being developed to help give newborn babies a chance of surviving in ambulance crashes of up to 40 miles per hour.

Product designers at Birmingham City University have partnered with manufacturer of stairway evacuation chairs, Evac+Chair International, to develop a stretcher interface device (SID) for newborn babies.

The device will include a quick attach and release mechanism that will see it disengage from oxygen, power and other survival instruments in the event of a road traffic incident, allowing newborns to be transferred quickly to another ambulance. To provide more safety to the newborn, SID will isolate the baby from sudden accelerations and decelerations.

The teams plan to test the effectiveness of SID’s design with impact tests at 40 miles per hour, conducted in a similar way to how cars test the protection for child restraints.

Dr. Panch Suntharalingam from Birmingham City University and lead academic on the partnership programme said: “The major challenge in this project will be the development of a stretcher interface device with impact-resistant fixing points and ports for oxygen, power and other survival supplies situated around what encapsulates the newborn.

“In order for the product to be desirable, it needs to be compatible with any European ambulance trolley, so this adds an additional complication, as the variation in emergency vehicles and their components differs across the continent.

“However, our work is vital in guaranteeing the safety of newborn patients in ambulances and giving their families piece of mind – something that will be at the forefront of all our minds throughout the project.”

Ges Wallace, managing director, Evac+Chair International, said: “Working with Birmingham City University will enable us to develop a world-class innovative safety conscious products to complement our existing range of specialist patient and casualty handling equipment.”

There are around 16,000 transfers of premature and sick babies in Britain each year, conducted so that babies can be cared for in the correct neonatal unit.