ANN ARBOR, Michigan – A medical student at the University of Michigan has developed a low-cost, non-electric baby carrier designed to treat newborn jaundice using filtered sunlight, potentially offering a lifeline to infants in regions with limited access to conventional phototherapy. The device, dubbed BiliRoo, is currently undergoing further testing and preparation for a trial in Nigeria.
Neonatal jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes, affects approximately 60 percent of newborns and 80 percent of premature infants. It occurs when bilirubin, a yellow pigment produced during normal red blood cell breakdown, accumulates faster than a baby’s body can process it. While typically harmless, severe cases can lead to brain damage and, globally, are estimated to cause over 100,000 deaths annually, according to research cited by the device’s creator.
Traditional treatment involves placing infants under specialized blue light lamps, a resource often unavailable in low-income countries. In these areas, families frequently resort to exposing their newborns to sunlight, a practice that carries risks due to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. “It’s a risky compromise,” said Daniel John, the medical student and founder of BiliRoo, a company established to commercialize the technology.
BiliRoo addresses this challenge with a carrier featuring a transparent panel designed to block UV radiation while allowing therapeutic blue light to pass through. John detailed early performance data on the device January 14 in the journal Pediatric Research. The design mimics the effect of hospital phototherapy, but in a portable and accessible format.
The device also facilitates “kangaroo care,” skin-to-skin contact between a baby and parent, which offers numerous benefits including temperature regulation, reduced infant stress, and strengthened bonding. This aspect of the design aims to reduce the burden on healthcare staff and allow parents to continue their daily routines while providing treatment.
John’s motivation stems from his childhood spent in Nepal, where frequent power outages disrupted medical care at the local hospital. He sought to create medical technologies suitable for resource-constrained environments, lacking consistent electricity or modern infrastructure. After moving to the United States and beginning his studies in mechanical engineering, he identified neonatal jaundice as a critical need.
Research by developmental pediatrician Bolajoko Olusanya in Nigeria has demonstrated the effectiveness of filtered sunlight therapy, showing that babies treated in filtered-sunlight tents experienced comparable bilirubin level reductions to those receiving standard phototherapy. Yet, Olusanya, executive director of the Centre for Healthy Start Initiative in Lagos, noted that widespread implementation has been hampered by a lack of governmental support and the need for extensive training of community health workers. She was not involved in the BiliRoo study.
John’s innovation aims to circumvent the need for dedicated sunlight-filtering facilities by integrating the therapy directly into a carrier worn by a parent. Initial prototypes were constructed by disassembling existing baby carriers and incorporating optical filter film. Testing in a university courtyard demonstrated that the device consistently delivered therapeutic light levels across various angles, while effectively blocking UV radiation.
Further research is needed to assess the device’s reliability in real-world conditions, particularly regarding intermittent sunlight and the potential for infant overheating. John is addressing these concerns with a modified design that includes an additional filter section to cover the baby’s head. A small batch of BiliRoos is currently being manufactured in Nepal, and a clinical trial is planned to begin later this year in Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
“I feel it’s going to be a good device,” said Tina Slusher, a pediatric intensive care specialist at the University of Minnesota, who previously conducted trials of filtered sunlight therapy in Nigeria and is collaborating with John on BiliRoo testing. “There won’t be enough of the baby exposed to treat super-lousy jaundice.” However, she added that for mild to moderate cases, “I think it’s a really good idea.”
