The Teddy Bear That Checks Your Child's Health
Here’s some health news that pediatricians along with many parents are welcoming. Making a young child comfortable in the doctor’s office or at home when you are taking his or her temperature just got easier. The newest smart “toy” is a stuffed animal with built in medical sensors that measure a child’s heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and temperature, and then sends it to a mobile device.
Especially when a child is sick, it can be a difficult task getting them to sit still or relax when you are trying to measure their vital signs. This new Teddy-technology is a way to communicate with a child before they are old enough for a cell phone. Doctors also see it as a way to make hospitals less scary for kids, leading to speedier recoveries.
Teddy’s sensors are scattered around his body. Pressing a finger to the bear’s paw takes heart rate and oxygen levels. When a child is stressed out in the doctor’s office, vital signs can be misleading. But if Teddy keeps him comfortable, a whole lot of correct information can be collected. This data can be very useful for future comparisons.
The device can also work to signal a busy parent that their child may have had a very trying day. When he is too young to talk to tell you about his day, teddy can provide vital signs that tell you the whole story.
What are your thoughts? Is this too much, or pure genius? Teddy the Guardian was developed by Croatia-based firm IDerma. Demonstrating that this is definitely an idea that is coming, the bear has just received FDA approval for the medical tech inside it. Watch for further developments and don’t be surprised if IDerma’s Teddy shows up in your pediatrician’s office.
