Thresia Ahern

Overview:

Baby lovers will love this innovative hygienic dummy holder   HDH that can be used with any dummy to help protect little ones by utilising a gravity operated self closing cover to the dummy holder.

Thank you for looking at the hygienic dummy or pacifier holder. Hopefully, you are one of the many people that would like to help make parenting easier for all parents and care givers who use a dummy to help soothe and comfort their child.

Dummies are often associated with the spread of disease. Infants and toddlers who use a dummy routinely spit their dummy out, where it can become contaminated. Carers of dummy lovers often go to great effort to keep dummies clean in an attempt to limit the spread of disease. At present, some dummy holders have been equipped with a removable, manually operated cover to prevent germs. However, the carer must actually follow the baby or toddler around to ensure the cover is replaced when dropped. This is not practical to administer, and defeats the purpose of having the cover.

This is where the hygienic dummy holder comes in; it is a dummy holder with an automatic self-closing cover. No help from a carer required! This invention is so simple, but so important to reduce the spread of disease with dummy users in the community.

If you are a mum, dad or carer, or know someone whom is expecting or uses a dummy please pledge your support for this product. Your pledge will enable happier families due to fewer illnesses caused by dummy transmission.

Product details:

The hygienic dummy holder has the following details:

· Minimum moving parts to avoid choking risk.

· No springs or pivots. The product actually uses gravity to close the cover.

· The cover remains clear of the face and in particular the cheeks, which minimises disease transmission to the user.

· It can be used with any type of dummy.

Achievements:

The dummy holder recently won “Project Inventor”, a nationwide competition hosted by one of Australia’s largest online department stores, www.oo.com.au The prize includes manufacturing, marketing, promoting and selling the product for a limited time through their website. The hygienic dummy holder will be on the shelf at www.oo.com.au in the near future. This achievement has helped the hygienic dummy holder have an advantage as this is the first beta trial, giving the product exposure, sales and advertising to their current clients.

The Northern Territory Research and Innovation recently held its annual award event created to recognise and reward the Territory’s most innovative thinkers and problem solvers. The dummy holder was regarded as one of three projects considered worthy of “CDU Next Generation Award” with many of the attendees commenting on the greatness of the idea. Although the project did not receive the award being a finalist showed the project to have many merits.

Overcoming obstacles:

As with all new products, there are many hurdles inventors have when they think of a new idea. In the past 18 months, the hygienic dummy holder has overcome the following obstacles, which makes it a viable project to pledge for.

1. Extensive research and development.
The inventor cut up her children’s toys and other objects using glue to make a working prototype. Showing other parents of dummy users, the feedback was positive www.oo.com.au and their designers ensured the product meets safety standards and have collaboratively worked with the inventor to ensure high standards have been met.

2. Commercialisation feasibility report.
An independent company determined that the hygienic dummy holder has a large market opportunity, will be low cost to make, is functional, patentable and meets all safety requirements.

3. Beta trial.
In winning www.oo.com.au Project Inventor, The team with the inventors input will complete all the hard work including testing and molding the first round of production. Design team Nielson's design association whom have extensive experience in developing plastic prototypes and children’s products have prepared an extraordinary design that carers and babies will love.

4. IP security.
$30,000.00 has been invested to protect the idea in countries globally to ensure product protection.

Comparison chart:

Shown below is a chart which compares the hygienic dummy holder to other dummies with covers.

 

Market opportunity:

Preliminary market research has shown that “in Western societies 75 to 85 percent of children use pacifiers” (http://www.answers.com/topic/pacifier-use). Premature infants seem to grow better when they suck on something. Professionals often refer to a dummy as a transitional object that helps children adjust to new situations and relieves stress.

Dummies are widely known to comfort and soothe babies allowing them to be contented.

SIDS now promotes that dummy use decreases a baby’s chance of SIDS.

With over 250,000 babies born in Australia each year that means approximately 187,500 of these babies use a dummy, which represents a great potential market.

With just over 5.5 million babies being born each year between Great Britain and USA, 75% would be just over 4 million using a dummy and a small percentage of this market would achieve significant market returns to Australia.

Funding requirements:

The funding obtained by pozible would enable an in-depth marketing strategy including various online and print marketing ($8,000). The first production round is for a beta trial and funds are required for half the amount of the second order ($8,000).

Any additional funding would be gratefully appreciated and used for a larger order and additional marketing.

Benefits:

The hygienic dummy holder has the potential to revolutionise the dummy holder industry.

Australia will receive recognition of being the country where this product was conceived as a way to reduce the transmission of disease, a health initiative.

The product will give carer’s confidence that their decision to use a dummy is safer than ever.

The dummy holder will help the economy by spilling over into jobs for people in manufacturing, advertising, media and retailers.

With less spread of illness caused by dummy contamination, this would free up time at doctor’s surgeries, reduce sick days from work, and result in a much healthier child.

 

Most pledges will also receive a copy of Thresia's book "Baby SOS - Common problems and solutions birth to twelve months" which includes a specially developed St John first aid section. That's 192 pages of real solutions to help build confident parents.