Why Gold Standard, State-of-the-Art Technologies Are the Cornerstone of Saving the Lives of Hospitalized Newborns and Infants
By: Karen P Becker, PhD, BC, NNP and Kendra Singh
In neonatal care, the allure of “cutting-edge” technology can often overshadow the steadfast reliability of proven, state-of-the-art solutions. While it is critically important to adapt to new research and incorporate technological advancements, there is a significant risk in underestimating the value of tried-and-true technologies—those that have consistently fostered world-class clinical care and delivered positive outcomes for the most vulnerable patients in our care, as well as their families.
Rather than rushing to replace established devices with the latest trends, we must prioritize clinical excellence and patient safety. This means ensuring that new technologies are thoroughly vetted and, when appropriate, integrated into a solid foundation of state-of-the-art care.
1. Focus on Clinical Excellence
The core purpose of neonatal technology is to improve survival rates and long-term outcomes for preterm and critically ill infants. Proven incubators and care systems have already demonstrated their reliability under real-world conditions, offering:
- Stable thermal management: For decades, state-of-the-art technologies have maintained thermoneutral environments that are critical for very low birth weight (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants.1
- Neurodevelopmental protection: Established devices incorporate features like quiet operation, optimized lighting, and smooth adjustments to ensure gentle handling—avoiding over-engineering that may introduce unnecessary risks for patients, families, or users.2
- Family bonding/support: Reliable systems help support family bonding and provide a stable environment for both infants and their families.3
Rather than questioning the reliability of these systems, healthcare teams should build upon their strengths. This includes introducing seamless, incremental updates that enhance performance and usability while maintaining safety and responding to the evolving needs of patients and users.
2. Safety and Reliability Cannot Be Overlooked
New technologies often come with unknowns, such as software bugs, design flaws, or gaps in real-world testing. For neonates, even small errors can have significant consequences. State-of-the-art incubators, those that are tried and tested, provide caregivers with the confidence they need to deliver optimal care because of the:
- Extensive clinical workflow integration, including individualized patient settings to achieve the desired thermal environment.
- Seamless integration of thermal algorithms, based on gestational age, weight, day of life, air temperature, and set temperature, with precise and predictive responses to clinical inputs.
- Extensive field data and user experience that support the foundational design and workflows of the devices.
- Integrated troubleshooting systems, which offer just-in-time recommendations, allowing staff to focus on patient care.
- Rigorous human factors and simulation testing with clinicians, service, and environmental services teams to capture the multiple aspects of user interactions.
- Seamless transportation options to ensure continuity of care and monitoring.4
The focus should remain on systems with proven reliability to maintain normothermia during the entire neonatal journey, including admission, transportation, and weaning, while continuing to support neuroprotective and family-centered care.
3. The True Cost of Care Includes Consistency, Standardization, Short- and Long-Term Outcomes for At-Risk Infants and Families
While newer devices promise automation and advanced features to support thermal care, they can come with steep learning curves, higher maintenance requirements, and unanticipated costs. Proven technologies have demonstrated durability and cost-efficiency by:
- Supporting consistent workflows that align with evidence-based care protocols, as well as individual policies and procedures reflecting best practice guidelines for thermal management.5
- Ensuring consistent and planned maintenance and operation, which helps prevent interruptions in critical care.
- Reducing unplanned operational downtime.
- Workflow efficiencies when equipment features are standardized helps reduce mental workload and increase information processing for clinicians.6
Furthermore, hospital teams, including biomed and clinical management staff, must analyze the “total cost of ownership” for newer devices. Hidden costs associated with additional accessories, support, and unforeseen technical issues can outweigh any initial savings or promised efficiencies.
4. Data and Research to Support Evidence-Based Care
Every innovation must be critically assessed through rigorous, longitudinal experience before it is adopted widely. Proven technologies have earned their place in NICUs because they are backed by decades of clinical evidence supporting their positive impact on:
- Improved outcomes for at-risk infants.2
- Better neurodevelopmental outcomes at discharge and beyond.7
- Supporting parental bonding and family-centered care.3
- Increased family and staff satisfaction.8
Adopting innovations without sufficient clinical evidence could inadvertently disrupt established clinical workflows in patient stabilization and transition, potentially compromising both short- and long-term outcomes—especially given the current challenges of staff shortages and a novice workforce.
5. Customization Through Practice, Not Gadgets
Features that support neurodevelopmental and thermal care should be evaluated to ensure they contribute to better outcomes for the patient, family, and staff. Neonatal teams should prioritize:
- Empowering families through communication and education, reducing parent stress, and supporting their individual bonding and parental experience.
- Enhancing caregiver learning through just-in-time resources and experienced clinical support, ensuring optimal use of devices.
Adopting innovations without sufficient clinical evidence could inadvertently disrupt established clinical workflows in patient stabilization and transition, potentially compromising both short- and long-term outcomes—especially given the current challenges of staff shortages and a novice workforce.
Closing Thoughts: The Balance Between Progress and Proven Practice
Advancing NICU care requires a delicate balance between embracing innovation and maintaining reliance on technologies with a demonstrated record of quality, safety, and effectiveness. Clinicians must evaluate whether new devices genuinely enhance clinical outcomes or merely add complexity to workflows. New technologies should be proven to be equivalent to—if not better than—state-of-the-art, world-class technologies before being tested or piloted on vulnerable populations.
Ultimately, the babies we serve deserve the very best care—not just the newest. By leaning on clinical excellence, evidence-based practices, and the reliability of proven, state-of-the-art technologies, we ensure that neonatal care focuses on the patient, the family, and the user, where survival and recovery are not just possibilities, but probabilities.
For more information on GE HealthCare Maternal and Infant Care products, visit: https://www.gehealthcare.com/products/maternal-infant-care
References
- Dunne EA, O’Donnell CPF, Nakstad B, McCarthy LK; European Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR) Neonatal Resuscitation Section Writing Group. Thermoregulation for very preterm infants in the delivery room: a narrative review. Pediatr Res. 2024 May;95(6):1448-1454. doi: 10.1038/s41390-023-02902-w. Epub 2024 Jan 22. PMID: 38253875; PMCID: PMC11126394.
- Snug as a Bug (JB11934XX): https://gehealthcare.showpad.com/share/3QnXNjyBol0Anob0pMuLc
- NICU Parent Network. (3/3/25.). Family presence in the NICU. NICU Parent Network. https://nicuparentnetwork.org/family-presence-in-the-nicu/
- Loersch, F., Schindler, M., Starr, K., Moore, J., & Lynam Bayne, L. (2011). Risk factors for intra-hospital transport of newborn patients: A new solution to an old problem. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 17(6), 203-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2011.08.003
- National Association of Neonatal Nurses. (2021). Thermoregulation in the care of infants: Guideline for practice. NANN. https://nann.org/education/educational-products/thermoregulation-guideline
- Xie A, Carayon P. A systematic review of human factors and ergonomics (HFE)-based healthcare system redesign for quality of care and patient safety. Ergonomics. 2015;58(1):33-49. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2014.959070. Epub 2014 Oct 17. PMID: 25323570; PMCID: PMC4297241. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2014.959070
- Kim, S. M., Lee, E. Y., Chen, J., & Ringer, S. A. (2010). Improved care and growth outcomes by using hybrid humidified incubators in very preterm infants. Pediatrics, 125(1), e137-e145. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-2997[1]
- O’Brien, K., Robson, K., Bracht, M., Cruz, M., Lui, K., Alvaro, R., da Silva, O., Monterrosa, L., Narvey, M., Ng, E., Soraisham, A., Ye, X. Y., Mirea, L., Tarnow-Mordi, W., Lee, S. K., & FICare Study Group and FICare Parent Advisory Board (2018). Effectiveness of Family Integrated Care in neonatal intensive care units on infant and parent outcomes: a multicentre, multinational, cluster-randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. Child & adolescent health, 2(4), 245–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30039-7
Maternal & Infant Care Products & Accessories: Helping to send moms and babies home healthy
The material presented in this blog represents the opinion of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of Synova Associates. Synova Associates does not endorse any specific products or organizations but strives to connect its industry partners with leaders interested in product/educational innovation.
