Silvia Vicente, nurse at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in San Pablo and member of the Care Research Group at the Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau), has devised a device, called Swaddy, that reduces stress on the baby during the weight procedure and contributes to its better neurological development.
A multidisciplinary team from the Neonatology Unit of the Hospital de Sant Pau, made up of neonatal nurses, a neonatologist and an occupational therapist, and led by the NICU nurse, Silvia Vicente, has carried out a clinical trial that concludes that this device significantly improves the heart and respiratory frequency and pain scale of premature babies weighing less than or equal to 1,500 grams during the procedure. The stress that this procedure can cause to the NICU can produce alterations in the development of the brain of these babies, and during this neonatal period, the reduction of stressful stimuli is one of the main functions of the Neonatology team. The Swaddy device reduces the stress of the premature baby and therefore contributes to its comfort.
Premature babies are prematurely in an environment for which they are not yet ready, the NICU. And sometimes they will find days or even months here, in a not very warm environment, with noises, with gravity and with an immature musculoskeletal and neurological system. Therefore, the quality of the experiences lived in this unit will determine the development of your brain. This is the motivation for finding solutions such as Swaddy to improve as much as possible the comfort of babies to promote their growth and development at the same time.
The Swaddy
The Swaddy is a soft, elastic clothing device that favours the flexing position, a position that a very premature baby can hardly carry out due to the immaturity of its flexor pattern. A posture that provides greater security, and simulates the mother’s uterus saving the energy needed to maintain other vital functions.
Although the development of muscle tissue begins before birth, the differentiation of muscle fibers will be considered unfulfilled before 40 weeks of gestation. In addition, sometimes premature babies admitted to the NICU show an exaggerated cervical curvature with positions of hyperextension of the neck, produced by being carriers of mechanical ventilation, among other causes. This posture weakens the flexor muscles of the neck and this results in difficulties for the baby to center the head and coordinate with the body’s midline. The Swaddy allows symmetry towards the midline and has a built-in cap that provides greater security saving energy, much needed to maintain other vital functions.
The device is made with a piece of cotton with adjustable elastane, the fabric is thin and soft to prevent excessive warming of the baby, and has a front opening that allows some mobility to promote the development of muscle fibers. The fabric also allows the mother to come into contact with her skin for a while and soak up its scent so that the baby feels the company of her mother when she is away.
