BEMPU Health
TempWatchField Evaluation / White PaperGovernment Pilot / White Paper

Pilot of the BEMPU Device for Reduction in Hypothermia and Infection Related Neonatal Mortality and Morbidity in Rajasthan

Year

2017

Location

🇮🇳 Rajasthan (Udaipur, Sagwara, Dungarpur), India

Sample Size

386 LBW newborns (250 BEMPU, 136 control)

Investigators

BEMPU Health, WISH Foundation

Institutions

National Health Mission (NHM) Rajasthan · WISH Foundation · BEMPU Health

Funded By

National Health Mission (NHM) Rajasthan

Download Full Paper (PDF)

Background & Methods

Low-weight and premature babies often die or are injured due to hypothermia and late-treated infection. NHM Rajasthan identified the BEMPU Hypothermia Bracelet as an intervention to combat these deaths and illnesses. This novel life-saving device monitors a newborn continuously for one month in hospital and home settings. If the baby is hypothermic, the device sounds an alarm enabling the parents to warm the baby through Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) before severe hypothermia can cause death. The pilot was conducted with 386 LBW babies (<2.5 kg) in 10 facilities — 3 Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) and 7 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in Udaipur, Sagwara, and Dungarpur districts. 250 newborns were enrolled in the BEMPU group and 136 in the control group. Data was collected via weekly phone follow-up for weeks 1–3 and an in-person follow-up at week 4.

Key Results

Outcome / MetricBEMPU GroupControl Groupp-value
Mortality rate at 4 weeks6%14%0.013
Reachable at 4-week follow-up92%89%—
In-hospital 4-week follow-up rate63.2%42%—

Key Outcomes — Visual Comparison

Mortality rate at 4 weeks

BEMPU
6%
Control
14%

p = 0.013

Reachable at 4-week follow-up

BEMPU
92%
Control
89%

p = —

In-hospital 4-week follow-up rate

BEMPU
63.2%
Control
42%

p = —

BEMPU groupControl / comparison
  • 1The BEMPU group observed a mortality rate of 6% versus 14% in the control group — a statistically significant difference (p=0.013).
  • 2Qualitative feedback from doctors and nurses was positive; the device was described as a facilitator of KMC and early infection detection.
  • 3Parents in the BEMPU group reported doing more kangaroo care in response to the bracelet's alarms.
  • 4Several case studies documented BEMPU alarms prompting families to seek emergency care, preventing or highlighting life-threatening infections.
  • 5The device was well accepted in both facility and community settings.

Why This Matters

This government-sponsored pilot in Rajasthan — one of India's highest-NMR states — was among the first large-scale real-world deployments of the TempWatch device in a public health system. The 8 percentage-point reduction in mortality compared to standard care provided the early evidence base that helped attract further funding from the Gates Foundation and UNICEF.

How to Cite

BEMPU Health. Pilot of the BEMPU Device for Reduction in Hypothermia and Infection Related Neonatal Mortality and Morbidity in Rajasthan. Report presented in partnership with NHM Rajasthan and the WISH Foundation. March 2017.
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