When Amelia Taylor went into premature labor in 2001 due to severe preeclampsia, she welcomed her son Leo into the world twelve weeks early. Weighing less than two pounds, Leo spent a challenging 155 days in the NICU. While Amelia dedicated countless hours to being by her son’s side, she struggled with the emotional toll of leaving him alone at night.
With a PhD in ergonomics and human factors engineering, Amelia pondered if there was a way for Leo to feel her presence even in her absence. This led to the creation of a unique bead-filled glove that she would place next to Leo each night. During the day, she would cuddle with the glove to transfer her scent, believing that it would provide comfort through its warmth and familiar smell.
Amelia’s experience in the NICU sparked a desire to assist not only her son but also other premature infants. Shortly after Leo’s discharge, a NICU nurse reached out to Amelia with an idea: “Those gloves you made for Leo? Could you make some for the other babies?” The nurse had noticed how much comfort Leo derived from the glove and wanted to see if it could help others. Amelia quickly produced 100 gloves for the unit and began researching how they could benefit preemies, ultimately founding the company Nurtured by Design. Her innovative work even earned her a grant from Oprah to expand her project.
While all children learn their ABCs, parents of preemies often familiarize themselves with terms like apnea and bradycardia—two conditions that frequently occur together, leading to alarming drops in blood oxygen levels. Apnea refers to the baby’s breathing cessation, which subsequently results in bradycardia, or a slowed heart rate. It’s a heart-wrenching experience for parents; however, the Zaky gloves provide crucial support. Not only do they offer comfort, but they also aid preemies in self-regulating their breathing, reducing the frequency of these distressing episodes.
A 2011 independent clinical study conducted by Georgia College evaluated the effectiveness of Zakys on 28-34 week preemies. The findings revealed that babies with unscented Zakys experienced about one-third fewer apnea and bradycardia episodes compared to those without any comfort item. Remarkably, those who had a Zaky scented by their mothers reported no breathing episodes whatsoever. If only we had access to a Zaky when my twins were in the NICU, perhaps we would have had fewer worrying calls regarding their breathing.
An exciting aspect of the Zaky initiative is that if a hospital does not already utilize them, parents can purchase one for their baby and request a hospital code. Nurtured by Design will then donate a Zaky to the hospital in honor of the original Leo. He may be 15 now, but he proudly holds the title of Chief Inspiration Officer for the company.
It’s hard not to get emotional reading about these innovations.
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In summary, Amelia Taylor’s simple yet profound invention, the Zaky glove, serves as a remarkable source of comfort for premature infants in the NICU. By mimicking a parent’s touch and scent, it not only alleviates anxiety for both babies and parents but also plays a vital role in promoting healthier breathing patterns for vulnerable newborns.