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Discussion

t-shirts for IVs

Do any of you use baby shirts with some kind of adaptation for IVs?

We are looking into having some of these made, so I'm seeking input on what will work best.

Thanks for any advice. fuzzy.gif

Featured Replies

  • Expert

We use regular long-sleeved wrap-around and snap shirts. When there's an IV in the hand, I put the other arm in the sleeve, wrap and snap, put the IV arm over the shoulder (for warmth, too) and tape it down to the body of the shirt.

Wish I had a picture, hope my description is good enough!

I can envision your description prmenrs, we do the same thing! Basically the IV arm goes out the neck hole.

But we don't have the handy-dandy snap front t-shirts. Those ONLY go upstairs to PP. Don't ask me why... they are smaller when snapped on the smaller snaps and they don't have NC and leads and oximeters upstairs. Screwy.

  • Expert
Originally posted by KRVRN

I can envision your description prmenrs, we do the same thing! Basically the IV arm goes out the neck hole.

But we don't have the handy-dandy snap front t-shirts. Those ONLY go upstairs to PP. Don't ask me why... they are smaller when snapped on the smaller snaps and they don't have NC and leads and oximeters upstairs. Screwy.

I'd go up stairs and hijack a linen cart...but you didn't hear it from me ;)

  • Expert

KVR--call linen dep't and/or purchasing and suggest they get the ones I described. The brand name on the tags is RUBEN. They come in premie size, too.

Some bright eyes down there decided to get "laptops" for us--the short sleeve shirts for babies that are sold in stores. The first time I had a mom look at me bewildered as she tried to figure out what to do about the feeding tube [connected to a feeding at the time], I raised cain.

We still get them once in a while, but I was on the "products" committee--that helped. I also rationalized that when the premies are weaned to open cribs, these shirts were better because the premies "fell out" of the other ones.

If you can't do that b/o of nights, memo the NM.

  • Author

Thanks so much Dawn! We do the over the shoulder thing too, but the boss wants special shirts, so....

  • Expert

Very $$$ way to go...

What you need is someone who can sew. It is very easy to adapt a kimono type t-shirt pattern to use snaps or velcro on the shoulders. There is even a pattern available at fabric stores that open at the shoulders. For the smaller babies you can use a copy machine and shrink the pattern to fit the sizes you need. I make the shirts for our nicu unit. If you have volunteers in your facility, try to get them to make you some. they can always be washed to ensure they are clean.

PS the shirts are much cheaper to make than to purchase ready made. :wink2:

  • Author

Thanks, all.

We have someone with a Serger to do the sewing but are gathering data before we settle on a pattern.

Do the velcro tabs on the shoulders get messed up in the wash?

Do the shirts come apart in the wash and end up in a knot?

Snaps get too hot in the warmer, so I think those are out.

How hot are your warmers? we dress our babies in onesies, sleepers or gowns, and snaps have not been a problem. We have some premie outfits with velcro, no problems with laundering them. It helps if the velcro is closed before washing. Do you have a washer and dryer on your unit? The hospital laundry can ruin baby clothes........and it's really disgusting to find adult hair mixed up in your baby stuff. We wash our own baby clothes, with detergent and bleach, double rinse and fabric softener.

We have over the head long sleeve shirts which don't work well with IV's.You didn't hear this from me but I cut the sleeve off at the elbow to help fit over the armboard and such.

  • Expert

We have a special "developmental" hamper--a member of the Development Committee takes home the small swaddling cloths, positioning rolls, incubator covers, et al, and launders them @ home.

If the laundry will give you a mesh bag to put shirts in, that would keep them intact. The ones we buy are sturdy enough to go through the laundry w/o a problem, but if you're going to spend the money for these special shirts, you'd probably better separate and launder them yourself.

Parents can and will take stuff home to launder, esp if they brought it in for their baby. It WILL get lost otherwise. We put that stuff in a "patient belonging" bag for them. Caution them to use UNSCENTED detergent/fabric softener! Moms usually love doing something like that for their babies.

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