How Do You Save a Million Babies?

I think there is a small percentage of people on the planet who are true movers and shakers. These people do big things. These people seek to help others. These people can often bring calm to a space and make things better just by their presence.

I got to meet one of these people last Tuesday night.

Jane Chen co-founder of Embrace Innovations and Little Lotus Baby Products

Jane Chen co-founder of Embrace Innovations and Little Lotus Baby Products

7 years ago at Stanford, Jane Chen with a few of her classmates was asked to solve a need in a developing country for 1% of the cost it takes in the modern world.

What did Jane decide to tackle? Infant mortality.

Did you know that the leading cause of childhood death is complications caused from prematurity and that one of the key factors in an infant’s ability to survive is being able to stay warm?

Babies, especially premature babies cannot regulate body temperature. With modern medicine we use incubators to keep our babies at the correct temperature, but in many countries, incubators are not possible. Sometimes incubators will just sit in the corner due to electricity problems or cultural issues.

After many trials Jane and her team developed the Embrace Baby Warmer and with it they have helped save the lives of 140,000 babies.

Jane working in India.

Jane working in India.

Embrace Innovations has been a wildly successful non-profit movement that has changed the lives of thousands. But Jane didn’t want to stop there. How could she and her team bring this lifesaving and affordable technology to millions?

Little Lotus Baby

If each year over 1 million babies die on their first day of life, how can we create enough financial wherewithal to reach and help their families with education, healthcare and medical devices that could potentially prevent their deaths?

Jane founded a line of consumer baby products that use the technology in the Embrace Baby Warmer to keep babies born right here at home at the correct temperature.

Jane’s friends started having babies and a key concern was whether or not their baby was too hot or too cold. She applied her problem solving skills to developing Little Lotus. A new line of products designed to keep babies at the exact right temperature.

Little Lotus Baby Wrap

Little Lotus Baby Wrap

I would have been so grateful to have had one of these Little Lotus wraps when Phoebe was younger. Phoebe was prone to seizures when she was feverish. A wrap like this would have brought me so much peace of mind.

The best thing about the Little Lotus line is it will use the 1 for 1 model and with every sale of a Little Lotus product, an Embrace Baby Warmer will be given to those in need.

Last Tuesday night I posted this on my Instagram account.

In the development of the Little Lotus products Jane partnered with artist Drue Kataoka who traveled the world to trace the hands of children and mothers who had been helped by the Embrace Baby Warmer. She then designed an online art installation at TouchOurFuture.org. These hands were then printed onto the fabric of the Little Lotus products.

Drue took it further in developing a mobile app where you can have an image taken of your hand and lend your hand to the Touch Our Future cause.

It is the intention that with the energies created from Little Lotus products, we will be able to create funding and resources to bring care to the millions.

If you would like to contribute to this cause with me, you can donate to their Kickstarter.

The swaddle blankets are available for preorder now on the Kickstarter for a special price $50 below retail.

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2 responses

  1. This is fantastic. Simple, detail-oriented, purposeful products that help people. Innovation and ingenuity like this are so admirable and beautiful.

    • Right Stephanie?! I also think these products would be really good for people undergoing cancer treatments or the elderly. Even people undergoing heavy detox programs/rehabs.

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