Project Description: 

Hi, we are team Baby S.H.I.E.L.D, and our capstone project was to design a viable PPE option for infants who are too young for masks. As of April 2020, the CDC reported over 300 infant cases of COVID-19 in the United States alone. In fact, in the US 133 infants have died from COVID-19 and the numbers have only risen since then. Unfortunately, babies don’t have any protective equipment to protect themselves from COVID-19. The CDC actually advises for infants to not wear masks due to the risk of suffocation and misuse. Parents are simply expected to keep their babies indoors, which is not always possible. As a team, we designed a safety stroller cover so that when parents take their babies out in public, they will be protected from airborne disease carried by sneezing and cough droplets. This device will let parents relax when they’re in public with their infant since they will be able to protect them from the virus. The design is similar to a three-flap weather cover. The transparent plastic front portion deflects any incoming particles while allowing the parents to watch their infants at all times. The side flaps are built with double layer polypropylene to keep out airborne droplets and allow the baby to breathe normally. The material was carefully selected from a list of medical grade materials that were tested for their filtration efficiency and breathability, following ASTM procedures. Lastly, the cover will be attached to any stroller design with easy to use velcro straps. Currently on the market, there is no similar personal protection equipment for infants that protects them from viruses while allowing them to breathe without any difficulties. That’s why we believe our device will have great success in the future.