Introduction: Bottle Feeding Low Facial Muscle Tone Infants

By REARLab

Instructions for making a device to hold bottle to feeding hand


Problem Statement

The device to hold bottle while bottle feeding are created specifically for the mothers who have children with Down Syndrome. The children with with Down Syndrome often times have a low muscle tome in their face and therefore cannot apply suction to a bottle to feed. Mothers must use their thumb, forefinger, and sometimes their middle finger to adjust the baby's jaw so the correct suction can be applied so they can feed. Holding the child and the child's face makes it difficult to hold the bottle and feed the baby. Holding the child and the child's face makes it difficult to hold the bottle and feed the baby. With both hands occupied during feeding mothers have had to resort to balancing the bottle on feeding hand.

Design Parameters

The device should allows mothers to stabilize bottle for feeding.The device should be adjustable for length and width of bottle, angle of bottle, and size of wrist and hand. The device should be user friendly, comfortable and easy to manufacture.

Step 1: Prototypes

For this Bottle Feeding - we have five prototypes.

Step 2: Foam-Velcro Prototype

For this design concept, Velcro was used to attach the bottle to hand. The foam pieces offer stability (pink foam) and change in the angle of bottle (yellow foam).

Composed of three parts:

1. Bike Glove with Velcro super glued to the thumb-index finger area of the glove.

2. Foam Wedge with Velcro super glued to inclined edge and bottom surface.

3. Modification of the Tipetoes design (tipetoes.com) to hold bottle. Velcro is attached to bottom and top surface to latch onto the foam block and then the bottle, respectively.Bottle modification: tape a Velcro piece along the bottle (length wise)

Step 3: Velcro With C-bracket Prototype

Design Concept:

Use Velcro to attach C-bracket to hand. The C-bracket holds the bottle in place, and the Velcro attached to the hand provides stability and some range of motion.

Composed of three parts:

1. Bike Glove with Velcro superglued to the thumb-index finger area of the glove.

2. C-bracket with Velcro attaches to the glove’s Velcro.

3. Bottle fits snuggly into the C-bracket.

Bottle Modification: none

Step 4: Foam With Velcro Strap Prototype

Design Concept:

Use Tipetopes foam and Velcro strap to hold foam piece to wrist.

Composed of two parts:

1. Foam Tipetoes with slots cut for Velcro strap.

2. Off-the-shelf Velcro strap.

Bottle modification: none

Step 5: Hand Cuff With Pivot-Head Prototype

Design Concept:

Utilize standard hand cuff, pivot joint, and C-bracket to hold the bottle securely while providing adjustable positioning of the bottle.

Composed of four parts:

1. Hand cuff with single hole drilled and threaded to accept male-end pivot joint.

2. Male-end pivot joint (orange).

3. Female-end pivot joint (blue).

4. C-Bracket drilled and bolted to female-end pivot joint.

Bottle modification: none

Step 6: Pistol Grip With Pivot-Head Prototype

Design Concept:

Incorporate a custom grip for digits 3, 4, and 5, a pivot joint, and C-bracket to utilized the grip strength of the entire hand while holding the bottle securely and providing adjustable positioning of the bottle.

Composed of four parts:

1. Custom grip made from aluminum shaft, drilled and threaded to accept male-end pivot joint, and rubber coated.

2. Male-end pivot joint (orange).

3. Female-end pivot joint (blue).

4. C-Bracket drilled and bolted to female-end pivot joint.

Bottle modification: none