One of the main difficulties faced in caring for newborns birthed by cesarean section is their inability to regulate their own body temperature. Because the temperature of the operating room is cooler than amniotic fluid, newborns quickly begin to lose heat if they are not placed inside an incubator. This presents a barrier to delayed cord clamping, as the short length of the umbilical cord makes it difficult to both warm the baby and keep it attached to the mother for the required 1 to 3 minutes.

Other limitations include hygiene. The surgical field must remain sterile to protect both the mother and baby, so the device must not increase the risk of infection. It must be easily sterilized and cleaned.

The device should also be user friendly and cost effective. If the device is not easily worked into existing surgical routines, then its market will be limited, as surgeons won’t want to sacrifice their old routines that work consistently. A low cost is needed to make the device accessible to not only large hospitals, but those in remote or poor areas. Price should not be a barrier to neonatal health.

Cited: Dahm, L. S., & James, L. S. (1972). Newborn Temperature And Calculated Heat Loss In The Delivery Room. Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey, 28(1), 504–513x. doi: 10.1097/00006254-197301000-00012