[1] Worldwide, more than 13 million births each year face serious complications, and every day about 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth (about 300,000 annually).
Once a marker on the device indicates that it has been properly positioned, the sleeve's inner compartment is inflated, providing a strong grip on the baby's head.
Safety testing had been performed on 20 women in Argentina, all of whom had previously given birth and were experiencing uncomplicated pregnancies, including a woman who was able to deliver a baby weighing 9 pounds (4.1 kg) with only two pushes.
[1] The World Health Organization (WHO) offered favorable notices regarding the device, which was recognized for its "potential to save the lives of mothers and newborns at the time of birth".
[1] Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO, described the device as "a low-cost simplified way to deliver babies, and protect mothers [that] promises to transfer life-saving capacity to rural health posts, which almost never have the facilities and staff to perform a C-section [as] the first simple new tool for assisted delivery since forceps and vacuum extractors were introduced centuries ago.