Co-Bedding

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Does your NICU practice Co-bedding? Do you have a specific policy or guideline regarding your practice? If you can not share your guildlines, would you include a person I could contact? (you could notify my private email if you wish).

We have done Co-bedding for a number of years in an open crib....but lately hae tried in an isolette also (something in which I have issues). If your NICU does do co-bedding, do you do this in the isolettes also?

Thanks for your responce! :)

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

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There are some discussions about this topic. Try "searching"--see tabs above forums.

I did go back and what has already been posted does not completely answer my questions...I would appreciate any new replies/information anyone might want to contribute. Thank you! :)

Specializes in NICU.

We do co-bed twins in isolettes. Sometimes this is for a few hours at a time, keeping an isolette available for both babies. We also have isolettes made for two, with doors on both sides. They are a bit wider than a regular one. Usually we only keep stable growing premies together.

When we had a set of quads, we sometimes tucked two of them in together for a few hours. They were going home to share cribs, anyway.

Sometimes the babes love to snuggle together, sometimes they want to fight! It can get messy when one spits up.

We don't have a specific policy covering this.

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.
We do co-bed twins in isolettes. Sometimes this is for a few hours at a time, keeping an isolette available for both babies. We also have isolettes made for two, with doors on both sides. They are a bit wider than a regular one. Usually we only keep stable growing premies together.

When we had a set of quads, we sometimes tucked two of them in together for a few hours. They were going home to share cribs, anyway.

Sometimes the babes love to snuggle together, sometimes they want to fight! It can get messy when one spits up.

We don't have a specific policy covering this.

Thanks for your reply. It sounds like you do not keep the babe's in the same iso 24/7. We do have the isolettes you speak of, and I still thought it was too crowded to position them correctly. Do you use the heat probes, or use air temp control?

The issue I had was one was having a & b episodes with desats requirering 02 intervention...so basically both baby's were recieving the 02 (since in an isolette), the one shouldn't have been getting any 02.

I also had a problem when one had emsis...one was frequently doing so, not tolerating feedings yet. So she would barf in the other's face...and it was busy not easy to get help to change the beds. But the 02 thing was my biggest concern.

Thanks, as I said above I did see that information...although it was over 3 years ago and not as specific as I'd like...and no name as to who to contact for further questions.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

The only time we co-bed in isolettes is when our census is so high we need bedspaces. And they have to be close to being put in a crib. We have the ones that can hold two, but IMHO, it is still crowded...can't do something to one and not wake the other. And then if one gets sick, we have to scramble around for a bed and spot for the other one.

nope, we don't cobed at all. ever.

Never have. Never will.

Specializes in NICU.

We never have and never will cobed. Our infection control nurse and ID doc will never allow it. The benefits aren't convincing enough to warrant the infection risk. (they don't take into account the "cute" factor do they?!)

Specializes in NICU.
We never have and never will cobed. Our infection control nurse and ID doc will never allow it. The benefits aren't convincing enough to warrant the infection risk. (they don't take into account the "cute" factor do they?!)

I realise that all it takes is one occurence, but has anyone working in a hospital that does co-bed have any problems with infection?

I don't remember ever having any problems in our nursery. We don't let the fragile little ones socialize, they have to be stable and just growing premies.

:zzzzz :zzzzz

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