Ameda Acquires Penguin from Creche to Expand NICU Portfolio

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ameda Inc., (Buffalo Grove, IL) today announced the acquisition of the
line of Penguin® Nutritional Warming products from Creche Innovations
(Stillwell, KS). With its established position in hospitals, Ameda is
able to expand its line of products to this much needed unique milk
warming technology for babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU’s).

“Acquiring the Penguin line of Nutritional Warming products provides a
unique opportunity for Ameda to expand its product offerings in the
NICU, and is the first of many new key initiatives the company will be
undertaking to create a new Ameda,” said Dale Clendon, President and
Chief Executive Officer.

Premature births represent 9.6% of births¹ in the US
according to Center for Disease Control estimates, with an average stay
of 79 days in the NICU² for these fragile newborns. These
babies benefit from the vital nutrients of breast milk, but may not be
able to breastfeed initially. In these instances, Mothers may use a
Breast Pump to build a supply of pumped milk for future feedings, and
refrigerate or freeze it. Ideally, the feeding should be warmed evenly
to body temperature for the baby to get the most benefit out of each
feeding. Research shows over-warming breast milk may break down valuable
nutrients⁴, while under-warming breast milk can lead to
digestive issues with premature babies³. For NICU Clinicians,
use of the Penguin Nutritional Warmer brings milk to body temperature in
a consistent and trusted way, which may promote greater feeding
tolerance in the Very Low Birth Weight infant³.

“Ameda’s approach to the industry, of putting babies and mothers first,
aligns perfectly with our vision and goals for the Penguin. We are
pleased to have connected with a company, whose founder’s lifelong
dedication, was to develop products that were best for mom and baby,”
said Scott Norman, Chief Executive Officer of Creche Innovations.

About Creche

Creche Innovations offers only the highest quality products for the care
of high-risk newborns. Our passion and mission is to design and create
cutting edge products and to work with caregivers to meet the needs of
infants and their parents.

About Ameda

For 75 years, Ameda is committed to healthy beginnings for Moms and
Babies. Centered on Mom’s unique journey, Ameda wants every Mom and Baby
to have the best possible start in life, and we believe breast milk is
the best start for a Mom’s newborn child. Through products that fit
seamlessly with Mom’s life, we support her with kind, steady guidance, –
in the hospital, at home, at work, or wherever she might be. Our roots
are in the hospital, and through a lifetime of conversations, research,
and experience, Ameda strives to provide Healthcare Professionals with
the products, tools, and information they need to better serve Mom and
Baby.

References:

¹ http://www.cdc.gov/features/prematurebirth/

² Henry C. Lee, MD, MS, Mihoko V. Bennett, PhD, Joseph
Schulman, MD, MS, and Jeffrey B. Gould, MD, MPH; Accounting for
variation in length of NICU stay for extremely low birth weight infants;
J Perinatol.; November 2013; 33(11): 872–876.

³ Gonzales I, Duryea EJ, Vasquez E, Geraghty N.; Effect of
enteral feeding temperature on feeding tolerance in preterm infants;
Neonatal Network, April 1995;14(3):39-43.

⁴ C. Darabant; Questioning Best Practices for Nutritional
Warming in the NICU; Neonatal Intensive Care Vol. 26 No. 3,
May-June 2013.

Contacts

Ameda
Bradley Unamboowe, 847.964.2620 x2712
Sr. Global
Marketing Manager – HCP & Innovation