A premature infant lies in a NICU incubator. She's too fragile to be handled much by her mother or the nursing staff. Yet research shows that such physical stimulation could afford this preemie multiple benefits in terms of her growth and overall health. So, what's a mom to do? Enter Sanna Gaspard, a PhD student in biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon. Her Neonatal Automated Physiotherapy device gently cradles infants, enabling them to sleep comfortably as they receive the safe, effective, and beneficial stimulation of touch. Thanks to her innovative work on this device, Gaspard was recently chosen as a "New Face of Engineering" sponsored by the National Engineers Week Foundation.
Elizabeth May