Multifunctional Posture Monitoring Breastfeeding Underwear

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), over 130 million newborns are born globally yearly. The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months and continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond. A single breastfeeding session can extend up to 30 minutes and may occur up to 10 times daily, resulting in prolonged periods of static posture (Ojuku, 2023). Consequently, improper breastfeeding posture can lead to a range of musculoskeletal disorders, including mechanical neck pain, lower back pain, scoliosis, scapular dyskinesia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sciatica. Therefore, this project successfully developed multifunctional nursing underwear with posture monitoring, postural support, and breastfeeding accessibility functions. It will provide real-time feedback on breastfeeding posture, helping to reduce the chance of getting breastfed musculoskeletal pain and facilitate postnatal postural recovery, potentially leading to increased breastfeeding rates and improved infant health. Additionally, this underwear may improve adherence to breastfeeding practices, positively influencing fertility rates and contributing to sustainable population development. The insights and innovations from this product also have broader applicability. Women facing posture-related issues due to prolonged smartphone use or sedentary behavior, such as university students and office workers, could benefit from this technology. This product effectively integrates ergonomic design and posture monitoring function, providing a reference for future smart functional underwear development.