Here on the Neonatal Unit at Leeds Children’s Hospital we are passionate about Infection Prevention. To enable us to keep your baby safe we need your help. Here are some simple yet effective ways that will aid us to reduce the risk of infection.
Important
Always wash your hands on entering the Neonatal Unit.
Please use the sinks at the entrance to the Neonatal Unit.
Important
Please take your outdoor coats off before entering the nurseries. This is to help reduce the spread of infections that you may be unaware are on your coat.
There are lockers provided for you to lock your coats and valuables away, please use them.
Each baby’s space is know as a ‘bubble’, this includes your baby’s incubator or cot, medical equipment, drawers and paperwork. We aim to protect your baby’s bubble as much as possible and not touch anything within the bubble unless our hands are washed or sanitised.
We ask that you sanitise your hands again prior to touching your baby or anything within your baby’s bubble as you may have touched things since washing at the entrance. The aim is protect your baby from infections as much as possible.
Hand washing is extremely important and makes a real difference to the spread of infections. Please to sanitise or wash your hands:
- Before and after you enter your baby’s ‘bubble’.
- Before and after you feed your baby.
- Before and after changing your baby’s nappy.
- Before and after you wash your baby.
- On entering and before leaving a side room if your baby is isolated.
Please keep your baby’s cot space as clear as possible
Please try to limit the amount of belongings that you bring in and keep them within your baby’s bubble. Use the drawers to store your baby’s clothes and belongings. The floor space must be kept clear to ensure our housekeeping team can thoroughly clean. Also this is important if nurses and doctors need to attend to your baby in an emergency.
Please keep the drawer tops and shelves around cot spaces as clear as possible in order to assist with cleaning.
Toys and teddy’s are very important for your baby’s development and whilst we understand the need for these, please restrict the number of teddy’s to one machine washable teddy within your baby’s cot/incubator. Bacteria can live on them and they need regular weekly washing at home.
Although bonding squares are extremely important please be mindful that these need weekly washing also.
Balloons are not allowed on the unit.
We ask that all drinks have lids on them to prevent spillages and to consume food within the parents sitting room. A parents kitchen area is provided for your use – please keep this clean and tidy.
Despite all our efforts, from time to time babies get infections. Some infections require ‘source isolation’, this means we will nurse your baby in a side room with the door closed to prevent the spread of the infection. We will inform you if your baby has an infection that requires isolation.
This room then becomes your baby’s bubble and it is important to decontaminate your hands before and after entering the room to protect both your baby and the others on the Neonatal Unit.
Please do not hesitate to ask us any questions regarding infection prevention and protecting your baby.
We understand that friendships formed between parents on the unit are essential to help each other cope during this stressful time, however please do not enter another baby’s bubble. This is important to help reduce the spread of infections. We encourage the use of the parents sitting room to chat.
Please remind us to clean our hands!
If we forget to wash or sanitise our hands then please remind us. We want you to tell us and we will not be offended.
Thank you for helping us to prevent the spread of infections
