CBME GBA 2024

2-4 December 2024 | Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center (Futian), China

| EN

This Young Social Entrepreneur Hopes To Save One Million Babies

Jane Chen's Embrace, a laureate of the 2012 Tech Awards and winner of the 2015 Laureate Impact Award, is working to save 1 million babies over the next five years.

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Chen, who co-founded the nonprofit in 2008, explains why so many babies are at risk, "Each year, 15,000,000 babies are born preterm; 3,000,000 babies die in the first 28 days of their life.
This is largely due to poor healthcare available in developing
countries. Many of these deaths are preventable. Unfortunately, a
prevalent number of hospitals simply cannot afford the high cost of
current incubators and are in dire need of a low cost alternative. In
addition, many of these births occur in rural areas, where electricity
may not even be an option so a sustainable solution is needed."

"We have created a low cost,
sustainable infant warmer that keeps preterm babies at an optimal body
temperature. It works without constant need of electricity, making it
ideal for rural areas in developing countries and has already saved over
150,000 babies. In order to help save more babies and reach our
1,000,000 baby goal, we have created a unique US commercial line of baby
products called Little Lotus, which
incorporate a proprietary NASA inspired fabric to keep babies at an
optimal temperature, helping them rest better. We have a 1:1 model –
every Little Lotus product purchased helps to save a baby in a
developing country with the Embrace infant warmer," Chen says.

Chen is already making great progress toward her vision of a world
where preterm babies don't die for a lack of basic care. She says, "We
envision saving millions of preterm babies worldwide with the Embrace
infant warmer and through the 1:1 model with Little Lotus. We are also
working on launching more innovative products to bring to the market to
help reduce infant and maternal mortality."