VIDEO: Kerry teenagers develop Dreamy Baby Prop tilting cot for reflux babies

Two teenagers have invented a device called Dreamy Baby Prop that safely elevates a baby in a cot or crib.

Jack Nagle and Eoghan McKenna, both aged 13, are first-year students at Killorglin Community College in Co Kerry.

They believe their device will be a godsend for parents with babies who suffer from reflux.

Jack said Dreamy Baby Prop would change parents’ lives all over Ireland — even all over the world.

“There is no safe product on the market for parents to use to prop their baby up,” he said. “Parents try to use pillows and blankets under the mattress or put phone books under the legs of the cot but all of these methods are very unsafe and do not achieve the correct angle.”

Eoghan said they were told by two paediatricians that the correct angle should be 30 degrees.

“We have put rubber feet on the cot and on the device to stop them from sliding. The device, a type of rachet, has a handle that you push down to lift the cot,” said Jack.

Eoghan said: “We do recommend that you buy a harness for the baby when it is inside the cot.”

The two students, who have been working on their project for the last three months, did not have to look far for inspiration — Eoghan has a baby sister and Jack has a baby brother who both have reflux.

“We saw how difficult it was for our parents to prop the babies at night and wanted to come up with something that would be useful.”

Jack said they were hoping to develop their project further.

“Our prototype is made from wood but, for it to become available commercially, it would have to be made from plastic or metal so it would be easy to keep clean.”