£10 device to tackle cot death

PARENTS could soon get updates on their baby’s breathing and heart rate sent straight to their smartphone.

Scientists have used wonder material graphene in the fight against cot death to develop a £10 wearable sensor which tracks infants’ vital signs as they sleep.

Dr Matthew Large, of the University of Sussex, said: ‘We are looking to bring peace of mind to parents.’

The 5cm by 1cm device can be sewn into a baby’s pyjamas, the journal Nanoscale reports. As well as being 22 times stronger than steel, graphene conducts electricity.

The graphene in the sensor forms a shell around water droplets mixed with oil. The current conducted by the graphene ‘hops’ between the droplets, but this happens less easily when the device is stretched – such as when a baby breathes, or from the vibration of their heart, which causes constant changes i n current. Parents are alerted on their phones if their newborn struggles to breathe or their heart rate plummets.

The scientists expect the gadget to be on sale within two years for about £10.

Professor Alan Dalton, of the University of Sussex, said: ‘The devices will be comfortable, non-invasive and can provide intuitive diagnostics of breathing and heart rate. We will eventually have a suit that the baby can wear which will read out vital information wirelessly.’