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Premature birth is considered to be a substantial problem in perinatal medicine, which in the vast majority of cases (>60%), concerns African and South Asian countries. Nevertheless, prematurity is a global problem and is faced by both less-developed (where 12% of babies are prematurely born) and well-developed countries (with 9% prematurity rate) [1, 2]. The percentage of children born prematurely, i.e., before the 37th week of pregnancy, was 8.7% in Europe, while, in Poland, it was 7.34% [3]. Care of prematurely born babies is a huge challenge for parents and medical staff in the neonatal intensive care unit. Preterm infants, because of their low weight and gestational age, are prone to health problems and even death. For this reason, continuous monitoring of health parameters plays an important role. It is achieved by the use of various sensors that are inserted in infants’ garments. Sensor systems monitor an infant’s health condition, and then the data are transmitted to doctors or parents. This article is for illustrative purposes, aimed at presenting solutions such as the use of sensors for monitoring infants’ physiological parameters.

One of the most significant problems occurring among premature babies is high transepidermal water loss and associated heat loss. To prevent this problem protective clothing for premature babies is developed which consists of a membrane that allows partial transmission of water vapor, combined with other textile materials. The purpose of this work is to characterize two pre‐selected three‐layer systems in terms of biophysical properties that fulfill their requirements for premature infants. Samples of materials are investigated to determine biophysical comfort (tests of thermal resistance, water vapor resistance and air permeability), mass per unit area and thickness. In order to visualize the structure and chemical composition of the tested materials, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were performed. The mechanical properties of the investigated materials and the evaluation of the total hand value were also characterized; the samples were tested on a Kawabata Evaluation System (KES) device. Protective garments designed for premature babies should be characterized by high thermal insulation and moisture barrier properties. In addition, it should have optimal air permeability properties and fairly low surface weight in order not to burden the baby's delicate skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature birth is considered to be a substantial problem in perinatal medicine, which in the vast majority of cases (>60%), concerns African and South Asian countries. Nevertheless, prematurity is a global problem and is faced by both less-developed (where 12% of babies are prematurely born) and well-developed countries (with 9% prematurity rate) [1, 2]. The percentage of children born prematurely, i.e., before the 37th week of pregnancy, was 8.7% in Europe, while, in Poland, it was 7.34% [3]. Care of prematurely born babies is a huge challenge for parents and medical staff in the neonatal intensive care unit. Preterm infants, because of their low weight and gestational age, are prone to health problems and even death. For this reason, continuous monitoring of health parameters plays an important role. It is achieved by the use of various sensors that are inserted in infants' garments. Sensor systems monitor an infant's health condition, and then the data are transmitted to doctors or parents. This article is for illustrative purposes, aimed at presenting solutions such as the use of sensors for monitoring infants' physiological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]