When a baby is born, there are lots of things that have to be analyzed about it. One of the main elements is the ability of a baby’s self-thermoregulation. If that is fine, lots of other things are also fine. If there is any problem related to it, there will be lots of threats to the baby’s life like hypothermia and even death. To keep things normal, doctors use infant warmers to keep the temperature of the baby’s body at a normal level. If you are about to procure it, there are some considerations you need to make.
There are two main types of radiant warmers for infants. The first type is manual and the other is automatic. Although both appear to be similar, there are some core differences. They are in terms of the control system, where an automatic one is suitable for sensitive cases. For babies who need to be supervised to regulate their body temperature more than in less severe cases, automatic baby warmers are used for them. The sensors installed in them regulate the temperature by having continuous readings of the baby’s body temperature.
On the other hand, the manual one is for less severe cases. These are suitable for babies that are fragile but do not need frequent inspection for body temperature. The machine provides consistent heat that a professional manually adjusts. There are no sensors in this type because the baby’s temperature does not change continuously. So, it is up to you which one you choose.
When you are going to choose a radiant warmer for an infant, make sure to have a detailed view of the heating features. Also, the control panel is included in it with the options to control the heat flow of the machine. When the infant is placed on the tray of a baby warmer, a medical expert has to adjust the temperature of it. There should be enough options in the machine to adjust the temperature and the heat flow rate. The machine should be user-friendly in order to let the users adjust the temperature as per the infant’s condition.
It is not only about adjusting the heat flow in the infant warmer but also about the sensor’s adjustment. It is better to choose an automatic type since it has sensors that can let users know when to change the temperature. Since a baby is very sensitive, one has to use sensors to let the alarm notify when the temperature exceeds its limit.
A device is attached to the infant that is connected to the infant warmer. That device helps to show the body temperature of the infants to let the warmer adjust its heat level. The skin sensor protects the baby from overheating or underheating. Still, medical professionals have to do supervision to protect babies from any mishap. This sensor is very handy and you can consider adding it to the list of features you want in the infant warmer.
The fluctuation in the body heat of the baby is adjusted by the machine. Some babies are in extremely fragile conditions where their bodies are not in a stable mode to regulate the temperature. This makes the machine automatically manage the heat flow for babies in order to save them from any problems. In a manual machine, a medical professional has to be there to adjust the heat level frequently by measuring the baby’s condition.
The height adjustment allows the users to keep the skin of the baby safe. Too close a heat emitter will be harmful as well as too far will be ineffective. The adequate adjustment of the heat emitter brings desired results for the health of babies. Nurses and doctors know how to adjust the height, and this helps to regulate the body temperature of the baby. Make sure that this accessibility is in the infant warmer you are going to choose.
The maintenance is as important as any other feature. The reason is the health of babies that are placed on these machines. To keep the optimum performance of infant warmers, one has to keep the machine maintained. These machines allow easy maintenance, and you need to make sure it is possible in the type you will be selecting.
Then comes the hygiene factor, which can never be ignored when choosing a medical machine. An infant warmer must be hygienic as well as maintainable for consistent hygiene. It should be clean for the safety of babies from bacteria and possible threats.
The mattress or tray used to keep the infants must be comfortable. You will have to ensure that in order to keep the safety of babies. In case the tray has any issue or the mattress has any problem, choose any other one. Too thin a mattress will not be acceptable for babies.
The last element you need to consider is the certification level of the manufacturer. If you are about to choose an infant warmer, the production quality will be measured through the standards they have followed. Normally, the manufacturers have to adhere to GMP, MHRA, FDA, and PMDA compliance. Also, ISO standards related to infant warmers will have to be assured.
Once you clear all these considerations, you will be on your way to choosing a radiant warmer for infants.