#Japan #Tokyo #Sumitomo #Breastfeeding #infants

New Sensor Device to Enhance Breastfeeding Support

Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd., headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, has introduced a groundbreaking breastfeeding sensing device that visualizes an infant's sucking ability. This innovative system measures the tongue movements of babies while they breastfeed, effectively quantifying their sucking strength. As a result, mothers can better understand their infants' breastfeeding capabilities, significantly alleviating postpartum concerns regarding nursing.

Background of Development

Breastfeeding plays a vital role in the health and development of infants. However, uncertainties about the effectiveness of sucking can become a significant burden for parents. Traditionally, there have been no easy methods to assess sucking conditions, leading to reliance on subjective quality assessments. This gap has amplified the demand for scientifically backed childcare support.

Overview of the Sucking Sensing Device

The sensing device was co-developed with Associate Professor Aki Nishikita from Setsunan University’s Faculty of Engineering. It successfully visualizes infants' sucking states through sensor technology, allowing caregivers to objectively observe tongue movements while sucking. Research supervised by experts from Keio University’s Pediatrics Department demonstrated a 30% increase in mothers' confidence in breastfeeding when using this device compared to standard nursing guidance. This is an essential tool that could help reduce anxiety associated with childcare and enhance psychological safety for mothers.

Features of the Device

The newly designed device utilizes Sumitomo’s proprietary silicone rubber, DuraQ® conductive paste, which affords excellent flexibility and comfortable wear. This material ensures that variations in resistance during repetitive stretching are minimal, allowing for stable waveform data acquisition, thus enhancing practical use. The device includes two force sensors that not only evaluate sucking force but also assess movement capabilities. Additionally, the new software allows mothers and midwives to compile breastfeeding metrics effectively, facilitating data-driven advice. Plans are in motion to develop a mobile application to streamline this process for midwives.

How to Use the Sucking Sensing Device

Midwives will attach the device to their hand, inserting a sensor at the fingertip into the infant's mouth where a natural reflex, known as the sucking reflex, will be triggered. The sensors will measure the tongue movements, thus visualizing the breastfeeding abilities of the baby. The gathered data will be quantified, and based on this information, midwives can offer tailored, data-supported advice to mothers.

Future Plans

The new product promises to facilitate accurate data-driven breastfeeding guidance, thereby improving the overall quality of breastfeeding support. By increasing mothers’ confidence, we aim to promote wider acceptance of breastfeeding practices. Currently, we are trialing the device in postpartum care facilities and municipalities, with some already implementing fee-based services. We anticipate a market release by 2027. In addition, we are working to enhance app functionalities to encourage broader home use. The data acquired from tongue movements could also predict milk intake and explore links to medical conditions. Furthermore, since tongue movement may correlate with swallowing difficulties in the elderly and speech disorders, we aim to promote applications in healthcare and wellness sectors beyond just the infant market, striving to reach annual sales of over 6.5 billion yen through these expansions.

For inquiries regarding this development, please contact:
Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd., S-Bio Division
Phone: 03-5462-4831
Inquiry Form: Contact Form