A smart baby wristband capable of round-the-clock monitoring of a child’s vital signs, with the abilities to send text alerts and raise alarms to the emergency services, has been developed by a Heriot-Watt academic and a student.

Electronics engineer and lecturer at Heriot-Watt University in Dubai, Dr Rula Sharqi, has spent 12 months working on the project, known as LittleGard, alongside fourth-year robotics engineering student Nakhul Kalaivanan.

Dr Sharqi had the idea for the smart wristband in 2018 while caring for two-year-old son who was suffering from a fever.

The frequent trips to and from her son’s room to check his temperature left Dr Sharqi, a single mother, drained and exhausted.

“A baby’s fever often worsens at night because everyone’s body temperature naturally rises in the evening,” she explained.

“This circadian rhythm, which regulates our body temperature throughout the day, causes temperatures to peak in the late afternoon and evening.

“As a result, any existing fever can seem more severe during these hours, making night-time monitoring particularly important for ensuring your baby’s wellbeing.

“But this can be exhausting for the parents, who often lose sleep.

“It was through my own terrible experience that I had the idea for a device capable of notifying me via text message, when my child’s temperature had risen beyond or below a safe level.”

The wristband monitors body temperature, oxygen levels, and pulse rate through a sequence of advanced nano sensors.

While similar products are available, the smart wristband is thought to be the first that can send monitoring alerts directly to parents, carers, medical professionals, and emergency services.

It’s fixed to a baby’s skin using a rubber material similar to what’s found on an Apple watch, helping to provide accurate readings.

It is also wireless and powered by a rechargeable battery that’s expected to last around six months between charges.

When vital readings breach a safe limit, an email and/or text is automatically sent to parents via an app.

There’s also an option to issue the same alert to a family doctor to ensure the health authorities receive real-time information in the event medical attention is required.

After building a successful, working prototype, the pair are now offering their idea for free to an industry partner with the capabilities of bringing the technology to market.

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Kalaivanan, who’s in his final year studying BEng (Hons) in Robotics Autonomous and Interactive Systems, said: “With our wristband design, there won’t be any false readings as the sensors are placed directly onto the skin.

“It’s also a safe option as the device is battery powered and won’t overheat.

“We have used advanced sensors incorporated into our design and have built-in safeguards so that a message can always be sent in the event WiFi temporarily drops.

“Besides monitoring vital signs, this device has the unique feature of sending alarm SMS alerts to parents and even directly to 911 in case of emergencies.

“This ensures immediate response and support, providing an extra layer of security for the baby’s health and safety.”