A monitoring system for newborn babies in Ugandan hospitals.

Abstract

The baby monitoring system is an embedded system based on a web application that is to help health personnel to monitor all baby infants born and kept in nurseries in hospitals. It consists of 2 RFID modules, a database, a web app, the alert system and the door lock mechanism. One of the RFID module is to be installed which helps in monitoring all the newborns placed therein and it is to alarm if a baby’s tag is not read within a particular time interval. The second RFID module is to be installed at the exit/ entrance so as to permit access to the personnel who want to visit the nursery using the door lock mechanism. The database is to store all the records of the babies in the nursery. The RFID reader installed in the room takes readings every 5 seconds and once a tag hasn’t been read, then a buzzer is sounded and it is displayed on the web that a specific baby is missing. For the reader installed at the entrance/ exit; once it reads an approaching tag that isn’t authorized, it doesn’t open the door. But for an authorized personnel, entrance or exit is granted. The problem is that sometimes the nurses are so tied up to keep their focus on the newborns thus cases have been registered of baby theft and swap. Therefore, this system is seen to be significant in saving the time of the health persons whereas at the same time being fundamental in monitoring babies thus avoiding theft cases in hospitals.