Mom’s Ingenious Invention Brings Comfort to NICU Babies

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Meet Laura Smith, a mother who turned her heartache into a remarkable innovation for neonate care. Back in 2002, Laura went through the emotional rollercoaster of giving birth to her son, Alex, a premature baby born three months early. Weighing less than two pounds, he spent a lengthy 150 days in the NICU. Each night, as she left the hospital, her heart ached for her little one.

With a PhD in ergonomics and human factors engineering, Laura pondered how she could provide a sense of her presence to Alex while she was away. The solution? A simple yet brilliant creation: a bean-filled gardening glove. She would cuddle with the glove during the day to infuse it with her scent, then leave it tucked against Alex each night. This way, it mimicked the warmth and comfort of a mother’s touch.

As Laura watched her son thrive, she realized that her invention could help other preemies too. Shortly after Alex was discharged, one of the NICU nurses reached out: “Those gloves you made for Alex? Can you whip up some for the rest of our little ones?” The nurse had noticed how much comfort Alex derived from the glove, and soon Laura was crafting 100 gloves for the unit. This endeavor blossomed into her company, Comfort by Design, which has continued to grow with the help of grants, including one from Oprah herself!

Every parent of a NICU baby knows the stress of monitoring apnea and bradycardia—two common conditions that can lead to frightening moments. Fortunately, the Zaky glove can ease some of that worry. By replicating a parent’s touch, it helps preemies self-regulate their breathing, significantly reducing these episodes.

In a 2011 study conducted by Georgia College on preemies between 28-34 weeks gestation, researchers found that babies with the unscented Zaky experienced a 33% decrease in apnea and bradycardia episodes compared to those without any comfort item. Even more astonishing, the infants with a Zaky that had been infused with their mother’s scent had zero breathing episodes. If only we had discovered the Zaky during our own NICU journey, perhaps those late-night alarms wouldn’t have been so frequent!

But here’s the kicker: if your hospital doesn’t have the Zaky and you decide to get one for your little fighter, you can request a hospital code, and Comfort by Design will donate a Zaky on behalf of the original Alex. Time flies—he’s now a teenager, but still serves as the Chief Inspiration Officer of the company!

And trust me, this story will tug at your heartstrings.

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In summary, Laura Smith’s heartfelt invention, the Zaky glove, showcases the power of maternal love, providing comfort and support to NICU babies and their families. It’s a testament to how one mother’s determination can create a ripple effect of care and innovation in the world of neonatal health.