[Tiki_Torch]

Does your NICU use isolette covers to help decrease excess light and noise from causing stress on the babies?

[dawngloves]

YOu may want to look at this thread.
http://allnurses.com/forums/showthre...ered+isolettes
We started "cycled lighting" several months back and was curious of the same thing.
I haven't personally noticed a difference in weight gain, developement, ect. I still use my own judgement and will cover a baby that is not doing well or not growing well.

[SheaTabRN]

A lot of us lift the covers during the day and pull the sides down a night.

[NICU_Nurse]

Yes, we have some Isolette covers and use them whenever we can. We also have semi-private rooms with curtains, blinds, and closing doors; two babies per room max. This is WONDERFUL! I cannot tell you what a difference it makes- nighttime is silent and dark, just the way it should be. I SWEAR TO YOU: I came from a horrible place (developmental care-wise), and all of our babies had huge black bags under their eyes. I always thought that's just what NICU babies looked like, until I came to my new facility. These babies are SICKER, but look more rested. It's amazing. That's all the proof I need.

[prmenrs]

I really like incubator covers. Not only because it's darker in there, but because it's QUIETER in there. The babies are monitored, you can sneak in to check IV's, ng tubes, etc., and people leave them alone!

We bought a couple, then had the volunteer dep't "Craft Unit" (or a crafty nurse) make us some, using that as a pattern. Ditto for those snugglie things. We have had Brownie troops make us swaddling cloths--22" square of calico, hemmed on all sides. They get their community service done and a sewing badge to boot.

[kitty29]

Yes on every isolette...when they didn't make them we used blankets or made our own.

[Mimi2RN]

We cover the isolettes, but our docs now want the babies out in open cribs much sooner. I think the noise level can be too high for them, plus we can't keep them covered. And the thought of sending a month old ex 30-weeker home makes me cringe.

[NICU_Nurse]

I KNOW that ChildMed used to make open-crib covers, but I don't see them on the site now. They had a flap that sort of draped over and around the open crib, to provide protection from light and to muffle sound (though it surely wouldn't be as effective as it is with the Isolettes); anyone else know where those can be found? Mimi, if you can get your hands on some, that would probably be perfect for those babies.

[TiffyRN]

We use Isolette covers on almost all babies. One or two of our doctors want the isolettes uncovered so their babies get sunlight during the day. We have a few custom made (I guess by volunteers) covers but if we are out of those we use the donated quilts we have and it covers some of the isolette anyway.