Embracing the Call to Serve
The birth of a child has the potential to be one of the greatest moments of a person’s life, but for some it becomes a time of distress and devastation. One such complication is low birth weight, which can lead to hypothermia in infants if not treated quickly. Traditional incubators, costing between $3,000 and $20,000 and requiring a constant supply of electricity, are often the only option for treatment [1]. This is not a feasible solution for the 21% of the world that lives without electricity or the 10% living in poverty [2-3].
The solution is Embrace, a low‑cost infant warmer developed through Stanford University’s Design for Extreme Affordability course. The warmer functions like a sleeping bag, helping premature or low‑birth‑weight babies conserve heat when they cannot regulate their own body temperature.
Figure 1: The Embrace incubator [4].
The Embrace team’s journey was far from easy. Throughout development, they needed to secure funding and build manufacturing capacity. One of the developers, Jane Chen, reflected, “Little did we know the time and capital it would require for us to get from a concept to a manufactured and clinically tested product—not to mention what it would take to build a distribution channel to sell our product.” [1] To address these challenges, the team created both nonprofit and for‑profit branches, showing that ingenuity applies not only to design but also to organizational structure.
Figure 2: The Embrace engineering team [1].
Embrace is far more than an interesting science project, it has brought real relief to families around the world. In 2023, during the height of conflict in Ukraine, infrastructure was severely damaged and advanced medical equipment became scarce. Many Ukrainian mothers recounted their pregnancies being filled with anxiety for their unborn children [5]. When premature babies were born in these conditions, Embrace warmers helped regulate their body temperature, giving them a chance at survival that would have otherwise been impossible.
Figure 3: A Ukrainian mother whose baby was saved by Embrace [5].
Embrace has also served families in low‑income regions, such as Nissima, a mother in Uganda [6]. She gave birth to premature twins who both suffered from low birth weight. One child passed away, but the other reached the hospital in time and, with the help of the Embrace warmer, stabilized and was able to maintain a safe body temperature.
Figure 4: Nissima with her baby girl [4].
Engineering can be a powerful force for good. The design of the Embrace warmer makes that truth easy to see. From day one, its creators focused on helping others, and because of that mindset, the device has blessed the lives of countless families who otherwise would have had no resources or support.
References
[1] Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign. "Embrace: A Low-Cost Solution to Save Babies." Stanford Biodesign, 2011, https://biodesign.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/biodesign/documents/global-health-innovation/insight-series/Embrace.pdf.
[2] Ritchie, Roser, and Mispy. "1.18 Billion Around the World Are Unable to Use Electricity." World Bank Blogs, World Bank Group, 2024, https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/1-18-billion-around-the-world-are-unable-to-use-electricity.
[3] Compassion International. "What Is the Global Poverty Rate?" Compassion Blog, Compassion International, 2024, https://www.compassion.com/blog/global-poverty-rate/.
[4] Embrace Global. Embrace, 2024, https://www.embraceglobal.org/.
[5] UNICEF. "Portable Infant Warmers Save Lives of Premature Babies in Ukraine." UNICEF Ukraine, 2023, https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en/stories/portable-infant-warmers-save-lives.
[6] "Embrace Uganda: Nissima's Story." YouTube, uploaded by Embrace Global, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQFApjAaoMw.
To cite this article:
Byington, Hunter. “Embracing the Call to Serve.” The BYU Design Review, 13 March 2026, https://www.designreview.byu.edu/collections/embracing-the-call-to-serve.
