June 2007 Frisco Style 15

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Copyright © 2007 Style Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved..

They SAy, “NeCeSSiTy is the mother of invention” and for Robynne elkin that phrase couldn’t be more true. Robynne elkin has been a pediatric occupational therapist (OT) for more than 10 years and prior to that she worked as a special education teacher. She has always worked with kids with special needs. however, it wasn’t until she had a son of her own with special needs that she invented a product that would help newborn babies and their families get the comfortable and necessary sleep they so needed and desired.

According to Mrs. elkin, one out of five babies experience some type of reflux. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GeRD) refers to the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Some reflux is obvious, but another type, which is referred to as “silent reflux,” is harder to recognize. Silent reflux is when a baby “refluxes” but then swallows the stomach contents or acid back down. This type of reflux is more dangerous

could be very dangerous for the baby. For several years, there were no changes to the wedge.

Then Mrs. elkin and her husband, Peter, began to have children of their own. First came Aly and then came Drew. When baby Drew was only a few days old, Mrs. elkin just knew there was something wrong. According to Mrs. elkin, “Drew didn’t feed well, had rapid breathing, bloody noses and his circumcision site would not stop bleeding.” At that time, nothing was diagnosed. At three months, Drew developed reflux. At about six months, Drew was diagnosed several times with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a major cause of respiratory illness in young children. Breathing treatments the doctors put him on resulted in the development of facial hair and swelling of his face. Finally the family saw a pediatric pulmonologist. The chest x-ray the pulmonologist ordered showed rickets or beads on Drew’s rib cage. Rickets such as these were generally

because it causes more damage. The acid that is swallowed has twice the opportunity to damage the esophagus and the digestive tract.

The SPARk OF AN iDeAMrs. elkin began the developmental care instruction in the Neonatal intensive Care Unit (NiCU) for Presbyterian hospital of Plano and has worked there for several years. She also works at Centennial Medical Center in Frisco and contracts to provide therapy to pediatrician’s offices as well. During her time as an OT, Mrs. elkin has worked with babies and utilized an infant “wedge” to help babies maintain a more comfortable state while suffering from reflux. The wedge is shaped like a miniature slide the infant lies on so they lie at an angle. She heard many doctors and other medical professionals complain about the wedges on the market at the time. When a baby is in pain from reflux, they tend to arch their shoulders and flail backwards. This

inventive Motherby Wendy Crooks

Dr. Craig & Roz Troop with Robyne Elkin and baby Jolene Baggett photo by Chris Fritchie

16 Frisco Style June 2007Copyright © 2007 Style Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved..

only seen in people that were suffering from severe malnutrition. The pulmonologist then ordered additional laboratory tests and had the family make an appointment with a nephrologist, a physician specializing in kidney disease. Then Drew stopped eating and had blood in his urine. They rushed him to the emergency room. They never made their appointment with the nephrologist.

A PeRSONAL SeTBACkAt 2 a.m. they were admitted to Children’s hospital of Dallas with Drew and later that morning were given devastating news. They were told Drew had malignant liver cancer and he wasn’t going to make it. After 13 blood transfusions and surgery, the doctors determined he didn’t have cancer but had cirrhosis of the liver. They immediately put him on the liver transplant list.

While this news was a little better than the cancer news, Drew was still a very sick baby. everyone was filled with questions. And the answers didn’t seem to be coming quickly enough. What caused this little baby’s liver to give out? They began sending Drew’s blood and urine everywhere for answers. Five long days later, an answer came from Quebec, Canada. Drew had Tyrosinemia Type i. Tyrosinemia Type i, which is the worst kind, is a genetic disorder characterized by the elevated blood levels of the amino acid tyrosine and causes severe liver disease in infancy. About one in every 100,000 babies is born with this condition.

The doctors at Children’s hospital wanted more answers. They began to communicate with Swedish doctors who were doing a study on the matter. They

ultimately put Drew on a study medicine called Orfadin that cost $12,000 a month.

Drew spent an entire month at the hospital. While the doctors worked on helping Drew, Mrs. elkin stayed by her son’s side trying to keep her mind busy. While doing so she began making sketches of a new and improved “wedge” she wanted to design.

BACk ON TRACkWhen Drew finally came home from the hospital, Mrs. elkin had her sketch and got to work. One day she found herself in her kitchen, an electric carving knife in hand and an old wedge on the counter. She began to carve out her new and improved wedge for infants with reflux. She finally had a concrete sample (and a huge mess) of what she wanted the wedge to look like. That wedge is now called the ReS-Q infant Wedge. ReS-Q

is an acronym for (R) - reflux symptoms, (e) - ear problems, (S) - sleep disturbance and (Q) - quick relief. The wedge is a washable and reusable vinyl-covered foam wedge. To solve the problem of infants flailing and falling, a sling was added.

As fate would have it, Mrs. elkin met a doctor who had just been through the entire product development process on another product. According to Mrs. elkin, “Dr. Craig Troop, who is an a n e s t h e s i o l o g i s t in Plano, has been instrumental in helping get the ball rolling.” Dr. Troop had already been through the patent process himself when he invented the Troop elevation Pillow with Mercury Medical. Together Mrs. elkin and Dr. Troop have

a patent and trademark on the ReS-Q Wedge and another patent pending on the ReS-Q Sling, which must be used in conjunction with the wedge. Mrs. elkin added, “Dr. Troop is a wonderful person. he has helped me mold my wedge and get it out to the public to help parents and infants in need, and to make a difference in the medical world.”

The ReS-Q infant Wedge and Sling is the only infant reflux wedge on the market that is orthopedically designed and reversible. The definition of reversible in this case is the baby can sleep on his tummy or back. Being that it is strongly recommended babies sleep on their backs due to Sudden infant Death Syndrome (SiDS) concerns, it is necessary to have a prescription from a physician to purchase this wedge. it promotes good head molding and a more natural position of the cervical spine. The prone side of the wedge is designed

Robynne Elkin with children, Aly & Drew photo by Chris Fritchie

18 Frisco Style June 2007Copyright © 2007 Style Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved..

like a parent’s chest, which is where most babies with reflux like to be. in the supine position, or the baby lying on his back, on the wedge has a scooped out “nest” that helps hold the baby in place, which works well for both newborns and especially premature babies. To solve the problem of infants flailing and falling, the sling is secured to the wedge via Velcro straps that attach in a “slit” in the wedge. The sling can be adjusted up and down so the infant can be placed in the optimum position for comfort.

Three stores carry the wedge locally: Drug Crafters in Frisco, Minyards Pharmacy in Medical City hospital and the Medicine Chest at Presbyterian hospital of Plano. it is also being used locally in the NiCU’s and pediatric floors of several hospitals. Because the wedge is considered durable medical equipment (DMe), many private insurance companies will reimburse individuals to some degree. in addition to helping babies with reflux, it is also being used to treat babies who have pulmonary problems, ear infections, and post surgery babies.

As traumatic as Drew’s medical condition was for the entire family, many good things came as a result of it. Not only was the ReS-Q infant Wedge and Sling designed, but Mrs. elkin also wrote a proposal for a NiCU volunteer group that would ultimately become the support

group called the “kangaroo krew.” The kangaroo krew, supported by the members of the Junior League of Plano, assists families and their babies who are in the NiCU as well as the nurses and staff at Presbyterian hospital of Plano. The kangaroo krew visits mothers who are on bed rest, provides activities, goody bags and hands-on activities such as babysitting for the older siblings of families with a baby in the NiCU. The Junior League members also provide “survival bags” with snacks and change for families while at the hospital.

As a result of developing the wedge, Mrs. elkin now consults on the website, www.infantrefluxdisease.com as an OT under the “Ask the expert” message board section. Additionally she now speaks at area hospitals, NiCU’s pediatrician offices, pediatric specialists such as eNT’s (ear, Nose and Throat) and

Gi doctors to demonstrate the benefits of the ReS-Q wedge and its usage. On a more personal level, she has even made several house calls to desperate sleep deprived moms whose infants were not sleeping anywhere but on their mother’s chests.

Thankfully, Drew is now off the transplant list as a

result of a drug that keeps toxins from harming his liver. The medicine costs nearly $10,000 - $12,000 a month. Drew is also on a special metabolic formula and PkU diet, which restricts the amount of protein he consumes. his family refers to his diet as the “anti-Atkins” diet.

The future success of the ReS-Q Wedge and Sling is still unknown. The response from parents and professionals has been overwhelmingly positive. Due to this great response, the product has been exhibited in Austin, Boston and Tennessee where it was demonstrated to healthcare professionals at the 2006 NANN (National Association of Neonatal Nurses) Conference. Although they missed the auditions for American Inventor, Mrs. elkin is considering pursuing Everyday Edisons on PBS, which is similar to American Inventor. They also have a few companies looking at buying the rights to the ReS-Q Wedge and Sling.

Whichever marketing route they ultimately decide to take with the ReS-Q Wedge and Sling, Mrs. elkin will be happy, because helping children is her passion and the wedge does just that. This ongoing journey will continue to be a rewarding one for this passionate inventor.

Wendy Crooks is a freelance writer living in Plano.

Jolene Baggettphoto by Chris Fritchie

The ReS-Q infant

Wedge & Sling is the

only infant reflux wedge

on the market that is

orthopedically design-

ed and reversible.