Prapela

04/21/2026

We don't withhold pain relief from adults until suffering impairs their ability to eat and sleep. So why are we doing it to newborns? A correspondence just published in Pediatric Research raises that exact question about the Eat, Sleep, Console protocol. My latest article breaks down the argument and what it means for opioid-exposed newborns in hospitals today.

"We do not withhold opioid medication from adults until suffering renders daily function impossible, to say nothing of waiting until physiological distress impairs basic function. It is unclear why we would be more comfortable with suffering in neonates than we are with suffering in adults.

02/03/2026

Prototype & Production Builds: $1M
Clinical Trials: >$3M
Lab Safety Testing: >$1M
FDA Submission Prep: >$0.5M
Time in the office and hospitals: 9 years

After securing FDA authorization for the first and only therapeutic mattress for hospital newborns, holding my new grandbaby, and knowing every bit of it was worth it: Priceless.

On behalf of Prapela, I wish to thank the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Charles Hood Foundation, The National Institute on Drug Abuse - NIDA, and many others for their support.

Sharing to the pediatric nursing community…National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT), National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN), AWHONN - The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Neonatal Nurses Association,

01/16/2026

Prapela is honored to offer the only FDA-authorized therapy for opioid-exposed newborns. Funded almost entirely from NIH grants, our pad for newborns suffering from neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) is available nationwide. Thanks for caring for these babies, especially members of - California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative - CPQCC, Southern California Association of Neonatal Nurses, AWHONN - The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses - California chapters

Opioid diagnoses during pregnancy doubled in California; experts call for expanded perinatal addiction care.

12/16/2025

New research highlights why early care for opioid-exposed newborns matters—now more than ever.

A newly published study in the Journal of Perinatology reports that prenatal opioid exposure (POE) leading to neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) can have lasting effects on brain development:

“Findings suggest that POE leading to NOWS may exert lasting impacts on brain development, underscoring the additive effects of POE leading to NOWS and the need for targeted early interventions and long-term monitoring.”
— Rajaprakash et al., 2025

These findings emphasize the importance of early, targeted interventions during the newborn period, when support can make a meaningful difference.

At Prapela, Inc., we are proud that the Prapela SVS® hospital bassinet pad is the only FDA-authorized device for the treatment of prenatally opioid-exposed newborns with NAS/NOWS. Our patented SVS technology is designed to help calm infants, support physiologic stability, and complement standard hospital care during this critical time.

As science continues to advance, our commitment remains the same: supporting better outcomes for vulnerable newborns and their families—starting from the very beginning.

🔗 Read the study:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-025-02496-7

The rise in prenatal opioid exposure (POE) has led to an increase in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), yet the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes secondary to POE and subsequent diagnosis of NOWS remains underexplored. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, APA, and PsycINFO ide...

12/04/2025

Great news for newborns and their caregivers! Special thanks to David Morrill and everyone at Saunders Electronics!

11/20/2025

Big thanks to Dr. Rachana Singh at Tufts Medical Center and WCVB Channel 5 Boston for this story on our work to help newborns breathe!

A Tufts trial tests a vibrating mattress that gently stimulates extremely preterm infants.

10/27/2025

I am absolutely honored to give a scientific and clinical presentation on stochastic vibrotactile stimulation (SVS) at the NEOsphere conference 2025 of the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC). Across the nation, perinatal quality collaboratives work to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies. Thank you, , for embracing new technologies and clinical findings that can improve infant health. ,

10/16/2025

John Konsin, CEO & Co-founder of Prapela will be sitting down with John Parker, Vice President, Board of Trustees of the CHARLES H HOOD FOUNDATION, to share the Prapela story on October 23, 2025, during the inaugural MIT-Hood Pediatric Innovation event.

This event brings together leaders in pediatric care, emerging technologies, AI/ML, and health innovation to shape the future of children’s health.

Please join us!

October 23,2025 - Museum of Science, Boston The Hood Pediatric Innovation Hub, established in December 2024 with a generous gift from the Charles H. Hood Foundation, combines MIT’s excellence in engineering, science, education, and innovation with the Foundation’s longstanding research network d...

09/29/2025

From the Squid to the NICU: How NIH-funded science led to a breakthrough for newborns.

In the 1950s, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health studied the giant squid axon, one of the largest nerve fibers in nature. Their work helped unlock how neurons communicate and inspired decades of innovation in neurobiology and medical devices.

Decades later, NIH again played a pivotal role. At Woods Hole, Dr. David Paydarfar, supported by NIH funding, conducted research on the squid axon that became instrumental in developing Prapela ’s stochastic vibrotactile stimulation (SVS) technology. His work laid the foundation for a therapeutic mattress designed to help opioid-exposed newborns, as well as preterm infants struggling with apnea and low blood oxygen levels.

Today, this journey has come full circle. The Praapela SVS hospital bassinet pad has FDA De Novo authorization, becoming the first and only FDA-authorized treatment for opioid-exposed newborns.

From basic science in the ocean to compassionate care in the NICU, this story underscores the extraordinary impact of NIH-funded research and the vision of clinicians like Dr. Paydarfar. What begins at the lab bench can truly change lives at the hospital bedside.



Image Credit: UnderstandingAnimalResearch.org

08/06/2025

We can't think of a better way to announce our latest milestone!

07/22/2025

I'm delighted to share some of the lessons learned over 45 years of leading and supporting MedTech innovations to market. Thanks to the team Simbex for sponsoring this event. If you are an innovator, early-stage founder, or curious about the MedTech industry, please join us on July 29th!

Most startups wait too long to think about regulatory and reimbursement strategy, and it costs them years of time (and dollars). On July 29, we’re hosting a live webinar to help early-stage medtech teams build smart, aligned FDA and payment strategies from the start. You’ll hear from seasoned op...

07/21/2025

Sharing the first part of our interview with Holly Scott on opioid exposed newborns and standard treatments. Thanks to the Mullings Group for this opportunity! We are honored to be the only FDA-authorized treatment to treat opioid exposed newborns suffering for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome/ NOWS.

Babies born to addicted mothers are at high risk of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ( ) due to withdrawal from opioids they were exposed to in the womb. These babies experience excessive and inconsolable crying, tremors, seizures, feeding and sucking challenges, dehydration, poor sleep, swea...