Circ boards

[mamagui]

Have any of you seen circs performed without baby being strapped to a circ board? My sister says her husband told her that when their son was circumcised, he was sucking his thumb, and I called BS. But am I wrong? Are boards always used?

[klone, MSN, RN]

I've only seen/participated in circs at two facilities, and both used the papoose boards.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We don't strap their arms down, we do a partial swaddle from the lower chest up, only the legs are strapped to the board. Maybe that's what he meant? There is no way they could do it with the legs loose.

[mamagui]

There was no question of the legs being loose, my brother in law claims that the ARMS are loose and the my nephew was sucking his thumb

[phuretrotr]

When we do circ's, we don't strap the arms down. We just swaddle them. I don't really see a need to strap them down.

[klone, MSN, RN]

When we do circ's, we don't strap the arms down. We just swaddle them. I don't really see a need to strap them down.

Yes, that's how I've always seen it done, too. The top half is swaddled tightly and the legs are velcroed to the papoose board.

[melmarie23, MSN, RN]

We swaddle the arms. They're not strapped down...only the legs are.

[FlyingScot, RN]

Maybe he's just trying to make your sister feel better. He could be completely lying. I just don't see the harm.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

I've seen kids lay there and suck hands or pacifiers like nothing was happening, they mostly cry because they hate being strapped down. So yes, it could be true í ½í¸€

[mamagui]

I've heard of swaddling the arms instead of strapping, too. I guess I have just never heard of leaving the arms free for the obvious risk of getting cut or causing some other sort of accident if they happen to flail about. That is interesting NicuGal, that you have seen them leave the arms free. Is this just in one clinical setting or have you seen it in different settings? Anyone else see the arms left free?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Both of our nurseries do it and we do in NICU. The girls that work across town leave arms out too. You can partial swaddle so that their arms are up near their face too. If they are properly numbed up and have some sucrose they are usually pretty quiet.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

Probably the arms were swaddled, but a hand got free and since he was using his thumb to self-soothe, they didn't re-swaddle him. That would be my best guess. We strap down legs and swaddle the arms, I've never personally seen a facility that used 4 point restraints for a circ.