Swaddled Bathing in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Replacing sponge and tub bathing with swaddled bathing can reduce stress and heat loss during the procedure of bathing. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Identify everyday NICU care that can cause stress in preterm infants. 2. Define sponge, tub, and swaddled bathing. 3. Compare the effects of swaddled bathing and other bathing methods on infant stress and heat loss. Preterm infants in the NICU are subject to many stressors that can affect their development and may have a negative impact on long-term outcomes. (1)(2) Routine handling and typical care in the NICU can be stressful for infants. (3) Sponge bathing in the NICU is one stressor that can cause physiologic and behavioral stress, manifested by signs and behaviors such as hypothermia and crying (1). Hypothermia in infants can lead to negative effects such as hypoxemia and hypoglycemia. (1) Although bathing is a nursing procedure, physicians need to be aware that different types of bathing are available for preterm infants. Three main types of bathing are available for infants. Sponge bathing is the act of bathing with a cloth or sponge without being immersed in a tub of water. Tub bathing is the act of bathing with the infant immersed in a tub of water. …