After observing a gap in the postpartum care market, Hayley Mullins, invented and globally patented a solution to make skin-to-skin care safer and more accessible from the moment of birth
Over a decade later, her globally patented award-winning invention, has been making its way into hospitals and homes across North America and parts of Europe.
The Canadian Paediatric Society says holding infants to a mother’s bare chest — otherwise known as skin-to-skin contact (SSC) — is a recommended best practice with proven benefits for babies and their caregivers. In fact, SSC can reduce postpartum bleeding and the risk of postpartum anxiety in mothers while improving their child’s heartbeat and breathing stability.
Mullins had those benefits in mind when trying skin-to-skin care with her two-week-old daughter. Unfortunately, while during skin-to-skin, her infant was startled and fell from Mullin’s chest to the floor. The baby was fine, with no serious injuries, but Mullins was alarmed.
“I didn’t want other parents to go through that,” said Mullins. “The more I learned about the science of skin-to-skin contact, the more surprised I was at the lack of options for making it more secure — not just for fall prevention, but for comfort and peace of mind. Dropping newborns is a “dirty secret” that’s shrouded in shame, but guess what? It’s not uncommon.”
Alongside co-founders Sarah-Almaza Cox and Ashley Wade, Mullins launched the Joeyband, a device designed to support infants in an upright position during SSC. Cox joined the team with almost 14 years of experience working in healthcare start-ups and Wade with a history of supporting women-led organizations.
By 2023, the product was FDA-registered and patented in multiple countries, placing its co-founders among the mere 17 per cent of female international patent holders. Those patent rights and registration status presented the Joeyband team with some unique advantages — access to hospitals, global expansion opportunities and increased credibility.
“Developing a device with expert-approval was priority one,” said Cox. “Parents want the best for their babies, clinical staff want the best for their patients, and we knew we needed to deliver a premiere solution that was backed by data.”
The Joeyband has been used and tested in over 200 North American hospital sites. One Long Island hospital found that by reducing rates of hypoglycemia and hypothermia, the Joeyband reduced admissions into the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU.) The estimated cost of NICU admission per day is USD$6500 to USD$8300.
Another hospital, based in Connecticut, shows the Joeyband leading to a boost in early breastfeeding success. According to the World Health Organization, uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact in the 90 minutes following a birth can maximize the chance of a baby’s physical readiness to breastfeed. Medical professionals frequently refer to that SSC sweet-spot as “The Golden Hour.”
The golden hour is frequently cut short in delivery rooms, with clinicians holding babies to their mother’s chest for only 15 minutes at a time. However, research from a California hospital shows that the Joeyband can lead to an average of 50.4 minutes of steady SSC in the operating room. Recognizing this impact, high-risk obstetrics expert Janet Stevens has advocated for the device to become a standard of care.
“The response has been very exciting,” said Cox. “The Joeyband has been changing the standard of care for not only newborns, but maternal health as well, which ties into a broader women’s health care model. The reviews, endorsements and data all indicate that we are moving in the right direction.”
In 2017, the Joeyband was honoured by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, who named the device a “trusted leader” alongside GE Healthcare. It is also the exclusive skin-to-skin device of worldwide breastfeeding organization La Leche League International.
Though recognition of the Joeyband revolves around SSC capabilities, Mullins says the device’s cost-saving benefits further support its in-hospital value. Hospitals with 2000 births per year may see savings from USD$3.1M to USD$12.1M annually when factoring costs associated with infant falls, NICU days, postpartum depression, NEC, formula and donor milk.
The Joeyband team offers hospitals a one-size-fits-most option to allow for streamlined workflow. At-home options differ slightly, with a variety of sizes available on the company’s website.
The team at Joeyband dreams big. As a bootstrapped, Canadian, women-owned company on track to double its revenue—with four publishable studies in progress—we’re excited to continue driving meaningful change in maternal and newborn health. www.joeyband.com
