A new thermometer designed by a team of young students from the National Polytechnics School of Algiers aims to solve parents' problems in monitoring the temperature of their babies - and promises to make those sleepless nights a bad memory.

Called Babycare, the Algerian innovation consists of two distinct parts.

The first is a cuff attached to the baby's arms, which allows his temperature to be taken by a sensor placed under his armpit.

The information is sent by a radio transmitter to a receiver placed away from the baby or in the parents' room - up to 100m away - providing instantaneous information on the child's temperature.

The idea came from student Meriem-Imene Chikhi, 21.

"The idea came to me in a spontaneous way - maybe because I love children so much," she says.

The young innovators are working on refining the product, and aim to start selling it at the beginning of next year.

MADJID MAKEDHI/EL WATAN (ALGERIA)