Reston Man Invents Baby Device, Raises $13K on Kickstarter

RESTON, VA — Ever tried to feed a baby in the middle of the night and desperately wanted to use your phone without disturbing the little one? Well, now there's a device for that, thanks to one Reston inventor.

Tim Causa, who was featured in a recent issue of Northern Virginia Magazine, was bottle-feeding his son Jack shortly before 3 a.m. back in 2015 when he came up with an idea that would allow him to browse the web or catch up on work on his phone without worrying about the bright phone making it difficult for his son to get back to sleep.

So he's invented an accessory called "Swipe and Feed," and after a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $13,000 from 122 backers, his fledgling company is ready to put it to market for $24.99.

The first shipment was sent out in January, and he's gotten orders from Ireland, Canada, and Australia, according to Northern Virginia Magazine.

"Swipe & Feed is a safe, durable accessory that allows parents or caregivers to use their smartphone while bottle feeding your baby," the Kickstarter campaign site states. "New parents are typically surprised just how much time they will spend feeding their newborn, Swipe & Feed allows users to maximize their time by multitasking when they never thought possible."

The initial prototypes were cut and formed by hand in Causa's basement with a scroll saw and heat gun, but after that, he hired a professional engineering firm in Virginia that specializes in plastic products. The device uses the same materials used for bottles, pacifiers, and other pacifying products, Causa says on his campaign site.

Image via Swipe and Feed