Cobedding.

[Preemienurse23]

Ok, I know this has been brought up multiple times, but they are old posts. So: We have a set of triplets, (one didn't make it), but the other two girls are now in open cribs, no IV, on oxygen, Nippling and tube feeding. The nurse who had them today asked the Neo if we could co bed them, and she said that the AAP does not recomment cobedding anymore. Has anyone else heard of this?

[NICU_babyRN, BSN, RN]

It is true that at home they should not co-bed. Some hospitals allow cobedding as long as both babies are on monitors.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

The only time we cobed on our unit is when the admission suite is swamped and there's only one warmer available and the MD/NP runs in with a set of multiples.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

We used to co-bed and we don't have a policy of not cobedding but have gradually stopped doing it over the last few months. We will ask our MD's or NNP's if we can co-bed and they say the same thing just mentioned; that the AAP doesn't recommend it. I'm surprised because our unit is so likely to shove as many babies as possible in as little space as possible. To the point we've joked that they'd really like to co-bed non-related infants.

The last twins I knew to be co-bedded left late last year.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

We only co-bed if we need bedspaces, but even then they have to be very close to going home because if one gets sick then you have to separate them anyways The AAP does have a statement against co-bedding, even in a hospital setting. Also, parents tend to mimic what they see at the hospital when they go home.

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

We always co-bed multiples, once they are big enough and stable enough. I've even seen them co-bed stable CPAPers together.

[BittyBabyRN]

Our hospital never co-beds anymore. Even if we need the space, we might put two isolettes or open cribs in an area intended for one, but never in the same space exactly. I have heard that is due to infection control issues... like if one of the twins were to pick up something, we wouldn't want to give it to the other one obviously. I do think that it makes it easier to look at them and treat them as individuals.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

I never understood that. If you cobed from the start, infection control shouldn't be an issue. They both came out the same hole.

[NICU_babyRN, BSN, RN]

I never understood that. If you cobed from the start, infection control shouldn't be an issue. They both came out the same hole.

They both came out from the same place but if one baby gets an infection it doesn't mean the other one will. if they are cobedding and one gets sick then the other is sure to get it. they are independent patients once they come out. You also have to keep in mind that sometimes one twin is weaker than the other.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

Ah, not true Steve...think about it...when twins get sick USUALLY the A twin is the one with the infection, esp with a vag delivery. We like to say that one cleaned out the path on descent! Also, you can have one twin with MRSA from the mom and the other not have it, once again, the A twin usually. Just because they traveled the same route doesn't mean they aren't going to be sick or get sick.

I have also noticed that parents and healthcare personnel are a bit more lax in the handwashing department with co-bedders (we do blind audits on handwashing in our unit).

[preemieRNkate, RN]

We cobed sometimes, depending on who is taking care of the babies and also depending on our census and if we need the space. Also, sometimes the parents push it, and the docs will go with it if they do. It always surprises me that I tell parents of multiples that they need to wash their hands between babies (cobedded or not) and they claim to never have been told that before! I know I always do on admission, and remind them as needed after, but it seems my coworkers aren't always telling them.

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

I wash hands in between co-bedded twins just because it's habit anyway.

They share quite a bit though when co-bedding. I had a couple girls co-bedding once and no matter how far away you put them, they'd end up butted right next to each other .... and they'd suck on each other's shoulders

I've only been a NICU nurse for 2 years, have yet to see twins get infected from each other while co-bedding ...... but then again, our infection rate as a whole is very low.