sterile water for baby baths

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Our hospital has recently installed faucet in nursery which gives sterile water. the initial baby bath is done in the nursery with this water. For bath demos for our new moms, we have to get a basin (nonsterile) full of sterile water, cover this with cellophane (to keep heat) and take it to the mom's room. Has anyone else started this crazy practice? I think the latter especially sends the wrong message to our new moms.

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

I have never even heard of this. What started it, was it a particular incident? Or just something new that someone thought would be fun to try? lol......We do give the first bath and all the other baths in the nursery, but we put them in the sink and give them a "shower" with a handheld faucet......we won't even let dad come in and watch

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Specializes in ER.

Oh puh-leeze.

Those poor moms are going to go home and sterilize everything that touches the baby?

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Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.
......we won't even let dad come in and watch

What do you mean you won't let him? It's his baby. What's the rationale behind that?

To the OP-What a waste of money to buy that thing and have it installed. Are you sure it gives sterile water, and not filtered? I can see how filtered water could be beneficial....but sterile?

:uhoh3:

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Specializes in Diabetes ED, (CDE), CCU, Pulmonary/HIV.

Not sure how you can get sterile water from a faucet. Is the water treated with ozone or something? Just curious.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Got to ask, WHY?

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Completely STERILE faucet water? Impossible.

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Specializes in Rotor EMS, Ped's ICU, CT-ICU,.

Pointless, and impossible. If they are getting it from a non-sterile tap and putting it in a non-sterile basin, using non-sterile cloths to bath a baby with non-sterile gloves in a non-sterile field, then it's not sterile, and it's disingenuis to even suggest that it's sterile.

And if there is no research or evidence to support this wasteful practice, then it's nothing more than snake oil.

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couldn't be sterile if the basin and supplies are unsterile.

how can a faucet provide sterile water?

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I know sterile piping exists, but even that wouldn't help. The faucet isn't sterile.

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:lol2: An incredible waste of time and effort! Once we start giving tub baths in NICU, the water is from our "non sterile" sink! Those newborns don't need a bath anyway. Give your "bath demos" with a dry washcloth and tell mom to use soap and water when she gets home. :uhoh3:
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Crazy . . . . :uhoh3:

We let the dads or moms or grandma's or siblings into the nursery to watch us give a bath.

steph

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