Breastfeeding Quantification

• US 20080077040A1
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Mosbacher, Rick, Ales, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,114,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/546
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4238 stomach
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence

Abstract

Presented is a method for quantifying breastfeeding between a mother and a baby, the method including measuring a physiological volume indicative of stomach fullness volume for the baby; setting a signal threshold value of the physiological volume to correspond to a stomach level that is less than or equal to the stomach fullness volume; obtaining an objective measurement of the physiological volume indicative of a level of fullness of the baby'"'"'s stomach; and providing an indication to the mother when the objective measurement equals or exceeds the signal threshold value. In one embodiment, for instance, the baby'"'"'s swallows may be recorded for determining the volume of breast milk consumed by the baby.

Claims

1. A method for quantifying the amount of a nourishing composition that is being consumed by a baby comprising:

sensing a baby'"'"'s swallows during consumption of a nourishing composition; and

determining a volume of the nourishing composition that is being consumed by the baby based on the number of swallows sensed.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the nourishing composition comprises breast milk.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the method is performed during breastfeeding between a mother and a baby.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an indication to a caregiver when the determined volume of the nourishing composition consumed by the baby equals or exceeds a signal threshold value.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising providing instructions to the caregiver to discontinue feeding of the baby when the indication is provided to the caregiver.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the amount of sensed swallows by the baby are sent to a monitor that includes an algorithm to convert the number of sensed swallows into volume consumed by the baby.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the baby'"'"'s swallows are sensed by a microphone.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the baby'"'"'s swallows are sensed by sensing muscular impulses in an esophagus of the baby as the baby is swallowing.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, where the baby'"'"'s swallows are sensed using electromyography.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, where the baby'"'"'s swallows are sensed using surface electromyography.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, where the baby'"'"'s swallows are sensed using acoustic myography.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, where the baby'"'"'s swallows are sensed using a strain gage.

13. A system for quantifying the amount of a nourishing composition that is being consumed by a baby comprising:

a sensor that senses a baby'"'"'s swallows; and

a monitor and communication with the sensor, the monitor being configured to determine a volume of the nourishing composition that is being consumed by the baby based on information received from the sensor.

14. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein the monitor includes a display for communicating volume information to user.

15. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein the monitor includes an algorithm that calculates the volume of the nourishing composition consumed by the baby based upon the number of swallows sensed by the sensor.

16. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises a microphone.

17. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises an electromyograph.

18. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises a surface electromyograph.

19. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises an acoustic myograph.

20. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises a strain gauge.