
For most parents with toddlers, watching footage of their motionless babies sleeping or hearing the deafening silence of their baby monitors does little to allay their fears. A tech startup wants to change this with Nana, their product that promises to go beyond monitoring to help anxious parents in the Philippines better protect their little ones.
Through a thin, contactless sensor mat that slips under a child’s mattress, Nana turns any bed into a smart bed, monitoring the child’s breathing, heart rate, sleep patterns, and environment unobtrusively. It not only alerts parents when their toddlers require immediate attention, but also gives parents deeper insights into their wellbeing.
Nana was showcased at a pre-launch event at A Space Manila on 2 Jun attended by the press and several dignitaries. “Parents feel most assured when they are holding their babies”, said Mah Chern Wern, founder of the Singapore-based Nana. “But when the child sleeps alone at night, Nana gets their beds to watch over them on the behalf of parents. Parents can rest assured that their kids are always well taken care of.”
Beejay Urzo, an OFW working as an engineer in Singapore said “As a father thousands of miles away from my young child, I feel this product would be extremely useful. At a glance, I can see that all is well with my child, giving me peace of mind.”
The US-based National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute asserts that “sleep plays significant role in brain development, physical health and social development.” Yet recent studies show that many parents are not alert to their children’s sleep health. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “two out of every three children aged 10 and under have experienced some type of sleep problem”. With real time updates and advanced algorithms, Nana helps to monitor this oft-neglected aspect of a child’s health. Mah said that the company is currently in discussion with several pediatricians and sleep specialists in the Philippines to enhance the algorithms for the local market.
Nana connects to your smartphone using an intuitive application that allows you to link multiple mats to multiple devices. This means that even members of the wider kin group are able to be included in the circle of caregivers with access to updates right at their fingertips, wherever they may be.
Mah added that Nana offers a new dimension to the not-so-simple act of raising a child. “It is designed to draw in all caregivers across multiple family units and sets out to provide a 360° view of the child’s care and wellbeing. In doing so, Nana combines the joy and fulfillment experienced by bringing up a child with a holistic system to improve sleep quality and wellbeing for your loved ones.”
Beyond childcare, the dynamic startup already has plans to roll out products for the elderly, as well as hospitals and healthcare institutions.
Nana is available for pre-order at www.iwantnana.com.