Incubator by Dr.

Fe del Mundo

Often, life finds a way sometimes, even earlier than expected. Premature babies (infants born before the mother’s 37th week of
pregnancy) are typically underdeveloped and low in body fat percentage, inhibiting their ability to maintain their normal body
temperature. The modern medical incubator addresses this; however, not all people who need it have access to such technology.
This is a particularly serious problem in rural areas, where such devices are generally inaccessible.
Fortunately, a solution came in the form of the first Filipino invention on this list: the bamboo incubator, widely credited as the
brainchild of Dr. Fe del Mundo. This makeshift device is relatively inexpensive and easy to reproduce, making it ideal for use in rural
communities and areas with no electricity. Developing this ingenious take on a life-saving machine, though, is far from her only
accomplishment. According to a biographical report on del Mundo by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, the
physician’s makeshift incubator was composed of two native laundry baskets made of bamboo. Made of different sizes, the baskets
were “placed one inside the other. In 1936, Dr. del Mundo became a Research Fellow in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
In addition, Dr. Del Mundo was the first woman to be recognized as a National Scientist here in the Philippines, way back in 1980. In
addition to all that, her passion for pediatrics and medicine led her to establish the Children’s Medical Center, the first pediatric
hospital in the Philippines. Truly, Dr. del Mundo is a pioneer thinker, and an inspiration for Filipino women.