Tummy Time Engage: Interactive Infant Development Kit

The Problem

Effective infant development requires activities like tummy time to build strength, improve motor skills, and prevent flat head syndrome, torticollis, and developmental delays. However, current tummy-time mats and semi-circular pillows often create discomfort by putting pressure on sensitive areas, causing fussiness, limiting engagement, and ultimately reducing the exercise’s benefits.

The Solution

The Tummy Time Engage is an ergonomic support pillow and play wedge that promotes healthy motor development through interactive tummy time. Its contoured shape provides safe, tailored positioning that encourages longer, more effective play sessions and higher parent satisfaction. The product is designed to meet the Consumer Product Safety Standards for infant support cushions.

APPLICATIONS:

Home use by parents
Daycares and early childhood centers
Pediatric healthcare facilities

STATUS:

Finalized design with working prototypes. UTRF seeks licensees for this technology on a tech-specific or exclusive basis. Collaboration opportunities available.

Benefits

Benefit
Innovative Design: Ergonomic contouring, grounded in developmental science, supports safe and effective tummy time. The gently curved base promotes stability and comfort.
Versatility: Designed to accommodate infants of varying sizes and developmental stages across diverse play settings.
Credibility: Expert-created, university-tested, and trusted by parents and pediatric professionals for its safe, developmentally supportive design.

More Information

Tulika Rastogi
Assistant Technology Manager, Health Science Center Office
901-448-7825 | trastogi@tennessee.edu

UTRF Reference ID: 21018
Patent Status: 11,896,916

Innovators

Anne Zachry

Associate Professor, College of Health Professions, Department of Occupational Therapy, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Dr. Zachry is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She received a PhD in Educational Psychology & Research from the University of Memphis in 2010. Prior to joining the UTHSC Occupational Therapy faculty in 2013, she practiced as a pediatric occupational therapist for over 20 years in a variety of pediatric settings, including early intervention settings and the local public school system. Her research interests include enhancing infant and child development through the provision of occupational therapy services. Her books, “Retro Baby: Cut Back on all the Gear and Boost Your Baby’s Development with over 100 Time-Tested Activities” and “Retro Toddler: More Than 100 Old-School Activities to Boost Development” were published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Retro Baby” won the Benjamin Franklin Gold Award in 2013. She currently serves as the Chair of the UTHSC Department of Occupational Therapy.