Developmental care: a guide to the latest equipment

Bed Buddy surrounds the infant to provide comfort.

Bed Buddy and Wonder Star neonatal positioning pillows, produced by Small Beginnings, are available from Central Medical Supplies (CMS).

Small Beginnings was set up by a neonatal nurse, with the ethos of better for the baby, better for the nurse. The old practice of nurses needing to roll up towels or blankets, to create a positioner, has been eliminated with Small Beginnings’ positioning pillows. Being reusable, the positioners also assist with sustainability goals, as there is less need for laundry services for used towels and blankets.

The Bed Buddy positioner is designed to surround the infant and help them feel like they did in the womb. Bed Buddy is filled with soft rebounding beads, to simulate a womb-like environment and enable the pillow’s position to be changed without removing it from the bed. Bed Buddy is available in two styles, one of which is a long tube shape. The other style, called the Diana Bed Buddy, is designed to keep an infant’s legs tucked. Both are available with washable fleece or knit fabric covers, or disposable covers. Bed Buddy comes in four sizes: Newborn, Preemie, Ultra Preemie and XS Ultra Preemie. Wonder Star is available in Preemie or Ultra Preemie sizes. In addition to positioners, the range includes preemie nappies and pacifiers, which are also available from CMS.

A simple display shows the sound levels in the NICU.

Premature babies are exposed to vastly different sound environments in the NICU compared to the womb. Draegar’s Noise Display SoundEar monitors and displays sound levels on the neonatal unit to provide a comfortable and healing environment for patients. The aim is to provide staff with valuable feedback to help recognise and control excessive levels of noise. The Noise Display shows you noise levels using a series of coloured lights: Green means that noise levels are within acceptable limits, while yellow and red lights signify potentially harmful amounts of noise.

This easily recognisable display provides objective information, indicating when caregivers need to reduce noise to appropriate levels.

Delta Medical supplies the HugMee support sling (left) and the Kangaroo Sweater (right).

Delta Medical International supplies the Benjamin Care range, which was conceived and designed by a neonatal nurse to support developmental care practice. The HugMee support sling was developed specifically for post-caesarean section skin to skin care immediately after birth and is adjustable to enable appropriate positioning.

The Kangaroo Sweater is designed for easy kangaroo cuddles after the initial post-delivery period and is suitable for use on the neonatal unit. Special openingsallow the parent to touch their infant, while mirrors built into the sleeves ensure that the parent can see the child’s face. Provision is made for probes, respiration tubes, delivery lines and monitoring equipment cables to ensure that babies needing intensive support can benefit from kangaroo care.

Miniboos have anti-bacterial properties.

The Miniboo concept by Cuski Baby is now being used across the UK as part of developmental care within NICUs and SCBUs. Miniboo is an infant comforter that was created to bring comfort and security to babies, by stimulating the baby’s awareness of their mother/father’s unique scent. They are a useful bonding aid to complement family centred care, kangaroo care and breastfeeding within the neonatal unit.

Miniboos are a smaller version of a Cuski specifically designed for use with preterm babies. They are made from 100% bamboo rayon fibre that is absorbent, eco-friendly and has anti-bacterial properties. They were voted Best Practice Initiative by Unicef Baby Friendly International Conference 2015.

The IncuCap cover is impervious to light.

IncuCap incubator and phototherapy covers, available from Inspiration Healthcare, are made of a three-layered functional specialty knit fabric. A highly elastic, breathable membrane in the core assures the incubator cover’s imperviousness to light. The 3D knit spacing fabric underneath ensures optimum noise attenuation, provides an anti-slip effect and permanently retains the cover’s shape. Additionally, the material is characterised by low weight. When a germ lands on the textile surface its silver ions interfere with the cell physiology, resulting in an interruption of the cell’s metabolism and ultimate death. The effectiveness has been confirmed by scientific research.

The anti-slip (silicone) interior lining is neutral so that the child can be evaluated without any interfering influences. Access to the infant is flexible and ensured by four side and two head/foot flaps. Optionally available with an opening flap for phototherapy lamps.