Help us support NICUs working toward welcoming gestational siblings at the bedside.

If yes, please share your unit’s guidelines/policies around gestational sibling presence; if no, please share your unit’s barriers to welcoming gestational siblings:

Sibling more than 2 years are welcome with their parents – Ideally we suggest to take an appointment with nurse the first time for a formal welcome. We organize welcome time for sibling with doll, incubator… The unit psychologists can take care for the whole family if necessary. A volunteer can take care of sibling 3 days a week, in the unit, when parents need for 1 or 2 hours.
It depends on what time of year it is. If the hospital has flu/rsv restrictions, and there are older siblings at home or if there is known illness at home, the multiple(s) will not be allowed back. If the other sibling is the only one at home and parents are well, they are typically welcomed back.
We follow our sibling visiting guidelines which allow siblings to visit if immunizations are up to date and they are free from infectious symptoms. We usually have a cot they can use while parents are visiting.
They are admitted as “Co patients”
Infection control doesn’t allow it.
Gestational siblings may be present during visiting hours only, 8a-8p. Gestational siblings are not permitted to stay overnight with parents/primary caregivers in the room.
Our NICU visitation policy does not allow for siblings.
Up to age 6 months (mother must be breastfeeding)
multiples are always allowed with a crib placed at their bedside. No restrictions. For older, non-multiple siblings they must be <2 years with proof of vaccination.
When a multiple sibling is discharged home, the parents are allowed to bring him/her back when visiting while waiting for the discharge of the sibling multiple. An open crib is kept in the room so the parent can put the sibling down while performing cares and feedings with the sibling that is still inpatient. To that note, older non-gestational siblings are not allowed to visit if under the age of 16.
Multiples w/discharged siblings can visit with parents if they do not have an older sibling at home. If they have older siblings we don’t allow them to visit due to possibility of communicable diseases, particularly in school-aged children.
No siblings under the age of 3 are allowed. During flu season, no one under 18
Parents can bring the birth multiple siblings when they “visit” the infant in the unit. We provide a separate crib for the sibling to sleep. We have private room setup in the NICU.
Honestly, I am not sure. I think it is just so far out of the box for us that people are overwhelmed when I’ve brought it up. I would love to find out how to make this happen in our NICU, it is definitely one of my top FCC goals!
The sibling can come to the unit for the first six months of life, but we do not offer our equipment for the non-admitted infant. Also, our units’ sibling visitation hours are between 2 pm and 8 pm.
We allow twin of baby if discharge first to continue promoting breastfeeding/bonding. Other siblings would need to be 2 years and above with proof of up-to-date vaccines.
No children are welcome in the NICU since COVID.
Families can bring the sibling, they stay in the family room outside the NICU and a family member needs to stay with the baby. infection prevention and legal team prevents us to welcome siblings in the NICU. Nurses are not allowed to assume responsibility of a baby that is not a patient in our NICU
They are welcome at all times, they are able to use our bassinette and the parents provide all that is needed for the baby and they are responsible for all that baby’s care.
Fever and cough free, not in the beds with the inpatient twin, can secure Child Life for sibling support during part of stay to allow parents to focus on inpatient
Inflexibility. Abiding by a strict “no siblings under 18” policy for “infection prevention”
of course must be healthy. we provide crib but family provides everything else (milk, diapers). They must never be left alone.
We allow all siblings (definition: those who live in the same household as the patient- may be cousin etc.) at the bedside for short visits. If the sibling is a toddler and very active we ask for them to limit the time in the ICU rooms to 20-30 minutes, but if the child is quiet (sibling pack-coloring pages/books provided) we do not limit. The only exception is during “respiratory season” generally November through Feb/March we do not allow any children under 3 at the bedside unless exterminating circumstances exist and approval from Manager/Director/MD Director.
No restrictions on gestational sibling present. A rolling crib is provided as a safe sleep surface. Unit staff cannot provide any assistance to the family with the gestational sibling.
Our twin rooms are built with a connected parent room. The post-partum and non-NICU baby dyad are cared for in this connected room during their own inpatient stays. When the non-NICU dyad is discharged, they can continue to stay in this connected room for the duration of the NICU baby’s stay.
We do not have a written policy but siblings both gestational or otherwise are invited on to the unit and can stay with the parents at all times. We recognise the family unit.
We welcome siblings unless they are ill.
Sibling can be with parent but we do not provide items for sibling, such as bed, food, diapers etc..
Not allowed because the other baby is okay; To prevent [healthy] baby from getting sick too
If one is discharged before the other, don’t allow the discharged one to come back cuz of risk for infection