Skincubator merges NICU incubator with hours of skin-to-skin contact

The Skincubator is a wearable portable neonatal incubator that keeps ventilator tubes, catheters and arterial lines in place while maintaining 70–90% humidity at 84.2–87.8 °F, letting parents hold premature babies skin-to-skin for hours. It was developed over four years, trialed in Germany, and received FDA Breakthrough Device designation in December 2025; the first U.S. trial is underway in Houston.

• Maintains 70–90% humidity at 84.2–87.8 °F in a stable microclimate
• Retractable pad enables hours of skin-to-skin contact
• WHO recommends at least 8 hours of contact daily for preterm infants
• FDA granted Breakthrough Device designation in December 2025