Hi! I will be starting my nursery/NICU rotation and I am thinking on whether I'm going to need a new stethoscope for this. I already own an ADC 608, which has a pediatric diaphragm, but I think it might be too big for the IUGR and preterm newborns. Budget is also something I have to consider but I don't want something that's too bad quality only to try to save some money. Is it a good idea to buy one? If so, I am between buying an ADC 605 or maybe a second hand Littmann Classic II Infant. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

Every infant in our NICU had their own dedicated stethoscope. Make sure that isn't the case for your units before you invest the cash.

True, a lot of NICUs have a stethoscope for each pt. My unit switched to this right after I replaced my old, cracked one. í ½í¸¡

In my NICU there is a stethoscope at every bedside, therefore we don't need our own.

I agree with the previous posters. Even if your particular unit didn't provided dedicated scopes for each baby (which is rare), it wouldn't be worthwhile to buy an infant stethoscope. I'd just use your peds scope for most assessments, and ask to borrow your preceptor's scope if there's something particularly important and difficult to hear (like a murmur).

If somewhere down the road you are hired into a NICU that doesn't provide stethoscopes, you can't go wrong with a Littmann Classic Infant. Most of the units where I've worked have used Littmanns, with the occassional bargain brand thrown in; Littmann always wins, hands down.

Even if the unit you go to doesn't have dedicated stethoscopes (mine does like the other posters), your pediatric diaphragm will work just fine for a rotation. It won't stop you from hearing anything even on the micro-peanuts (which I'm skeptical that you'd have much contact with). It's just a little less convenient, but that's ok for one rotation. I would not buy an infant stethoscope until you are hired into a unit that doesn't have dedicated stethoscopes.