The Prototypes

A study from Ghana [1] sparked an idea for us, and that idea hasn't stopped growing yet! 

In 2013, our team produced the first proof-of-concept of the PrenaBelt®  by essentially merging a maternity belt with four tennis balls. This approach, known as the tennis-ball technique, is a simple, safe, effective, and inexpensive treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea that dates back to the early 1980’s;[2] however, it needed to be modified for and tested in pregnancy, so we subsequently manufactured over 200 PrenaBelt® research prototypes in Vancouver, Canada.

 

 

We then contacted the authors of the Ghana study [1] and collaborated with them to test the PrenaBelt®. Together, we won funding from Grand Challenges Canada to carry out PrenaBelt® research studies in Accra, Ghana (led by Dr. Jerry Coleman, MB, ChB, FWACS) and Halifax, Canada (led by Dr. Heather Scott, MD, FRCSC). Around the same time, we also contacted Dr. Jane Warland, PhD who had recently published a very helpful paper on the topic of sleeping position in pregnancy.[3] Together, we won a grant from the University of South Australia to carry out a third PrenaBelt® research study in Adelaide, Australia.

 

 

With a lot time, effort, and teamwork, the PrenaBelt® has grown immensely from an idea in 2013, to a proof-of-concept, to many research prototypes, and into a wonderful product that we are very proud of today!

 

 

Interested in learning more? Click/tap here to learn about our product, the PrenaBelt®. 

 

References:

1. Owusu JT, et al. Association of maternal sleep practices with pre-eclampsia, low birth weight, and stillbirth among Ghanaian women. Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 2013.
2. Editor’s note. Patient’s wife cures his snoring. Chest, 1984.
3. Warland J, Mitchell E. A triple risk model for unexplained late stillbirth. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2014.