Little Sparrows Technologies, a neonatal medical device startup based in Woburn, MA, has raised $3 million in Seed funding. The company did not disclose the backers of this funding round.

The funds will be utilized to expand operations and development efforts at Little Sparrows Technologies.

Founded in 2013 by Harvard physicians Dr. Donna Brezinski, a neonatologist, and Dr. Gary Gilbert, a hematologist, Little Sparrows Technologies is a medical device startup focused on developing innovative solutions to advance the well-being of newborns worldwide. Its first marketed device, bili-hut™ neonatal phototherapy, enables rapid, effective treatment of neonatal jaundice in hospital and home settings in the US and abroad. The device received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2019.

The company has also added new board members: Douglas A. Treco, PhD, Georgia McGaughey, PhD, and Francis Kim.

Commenting on the news, Donna Brezinski said: “We are extremely fortunate to have assembled a team of world-class board members with proven track records who can offer their deep industry knowledge and strategic insights as we work toward growing our customer base in the US and globally for the benefit of newborns worldwide.”

Little Sparrows Technologies, a medical startup committed to improving the care and well-being of newborns, has announced initial results of a home phototherapy trial of bili•hut™, a next-generation portable LED phototherapy device for neonatal jaundice treatment. In this first series consisting of three infants, bili•hut was deployed directly from a primary care pediatric office following outpatient diagnosis of significant jaundice. The infants were effectively treated at home in an average of 16 total hours of phototherapy treatment and did not require hospital readmission.

Currently conducted in the greater Boston area, the bili•hut trial is designed to deliver hospital-intensity phototherapy at home for the treatment of neonatal jaundice (NNJ). Jaundice is the leading reason newborns are readmitted into a hospital. It is a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes caused by the elevation of bilirubin, a breakdown product of red blood cells. Approximately 10 percent of all newborns suffer from elevated bilirubin levels, which can cause irreversible brain injury or death if untreated. Phototherapy treatment using high-intensity blue light helps with the detoxification of bilirubin, curing nearly all cases of jaundice and preventing brain injury.