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Things to Remember Before Using Infant Heel Warmers Show
An infant heel warmer is a type of disposable device made up of a non-toxic substance. When placed in the sole and heel area, an exothermic reaction occurs which immediately raises the body temperature to around 104°F (40°C). The rise in temperature only lasts for a few minutes but is enough to boost the infant’s blood circulation, which helps caregivers to collect a blood sample of the infant. Infant warmers are generally safe, as long as they are used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. How are Infant Heel Warmers Activated?There is a wide variety of infant heel warmers being sold, but most manufacturers sell patented devices. The most common type make use of gel components for increasing the body’s temperature. High-quality infant heel warmers reach the right temperature within just a minute without any complicated procedure to activate them. It only takes squeezing the pouch containing the gel to activate them. Top quality products do not contain latex, DEHP, and other harmful substances that can irritate the sensitive skin of an infant. Things to Keep in Mind When Using Infant Heel WarmersInfant heel warmers are considered to be safe. However, there are a few cases of adverse reactions associated with the use of these products. During the investigation, it was found out that improper use of the products that caused the reaction. Second to third-degree burns are just some of the possible side effects of infant heel warmers, which can easily be avoided by carefully following the manufacturer’s manual on the proper usage of the device. Precautions You Can Take to Prevent AccidentsThe first and foremost precaution that should be taken when handling infant heel warmers is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions because any deviation can cause second to third-degree burns to infants. Here are some other precautions you can take to ensure the safety of the child.
When to See a DoctorDo not hesitate to see a pediatrician from Pediatrix, if your child suffered from any of the rare side-effects of heel warmers. We offer one of the best infant care services in Phoenix not only because we have some of the best pediatricians, but also because we genuinely care about your child’s well-being. Share This Post, Choose Your Platform
What Precautions Should Be Taken When Drawing Blood From Infants Date: OCT.1.2013 // Source: Clinical Laboratory News In the July issue of Patient Safety Focus, Dr. Geaghan described the risks associated with capillary blood sampling from a finger-stick puncture, a widely used method in point-of-care glucose testing. Here she expands on that interview, focusing on the heel-stick sampling method, a simple procedure in which a baby's heel is pricked with a lancet and then a small amount of the blood is collected in a narrow-gauge capillary glass tube or on a filter paper. Dr. Geaghan is professor of pathology and pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif. Nancy Sasavage, PhD, conducted this interview. Please describe drawing blood by heel-stick sampling. The heel-stick method for drawing capillary blood is the most common way to draw newborns' blood. It is used to collect blood for newborn screening tests, usually before the baby leaves the hospital. Heel sticks are the most commonly performed invasive procedure in neonatal intensive care units. When is the heel-stick method used to draw blood from infants? That is a frequently asked question. I like to think of this question in terms of developmental milestones. While fingers are the site of choice after infancy, heel sticks are appropriate for most babies, including premature infants, neonates, and even babies 4 to 7 months old. The only caveat is that babies discover other parts of their bodies, such as their feet and toes, as they grow older. A bandage placed on a baby's heel can pose a safety risk when the child is able to place its feet in its mouth. By 8 to 12 months, babies are pulling themselves up, standing, and preparing to walk or walking; so heel sticks are not recommended at this developmental stage because the heels are bearing weight to varying degrees. Premies may not reach such milestones on the same schedule as full-term babies, so I recommend that parents be questioned about their child's development before performing a heel stick. What risks are particular to heel sticks? Improper heel-stick technique can damage the structures of the foot, including the calcaneus bone and soft tissues. In fact, some reports have documented difficulties walking later in life. It is safe to perform a heel stick if the puncture site is limited to the medial and lateral planter aspects of each heel pad, specifically medial to a visual line drawn from the middle of the big toe extending posterior to the heel or lateral to a line drawn from between the fourth and fifth toes and extending posterior to the heel. Repeated punctures, bruising, or erythema limit the available area for punctures, especially in premature infants who may have blood drawn multiple times or very tiny heels.  How can heel-stick safety be assessed? Due to the special technical requirements of this procedure, it is ideal to have experienced staff who perform heel sticks frequently. It is also important to have a program in place to maintain this special skill set. Periodic quality rounds to randomly inspect neonatal heels are a good idea to evaluate staff performance and take corrective actions when necessary. Editor's Note The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recently released an updated edition of its standard NBS01-A6, "Blood Collection on Filter Paper for Newborn Screening Programs," which replaces standard LA04-A5. This important document, revised for the first time since 2007, contains a substantial amount of new information on the essentials of correctly collecting a high-quality specimen, handling the specimen after it has been collected, transporting it to the testing facility, and sorting the residual specimen that remains after laboratory testing. For additional information, visit the CLSI website.
Yes, there is also a risk of burning the baby's skin while warming its heel before the blood is drawn. Heel warming is used to increase blood flow in the capillaries. If the heel is to be warmed, using warm water submersion is risky unless you tightly control the temperature. Chemical heat packs are single-use, and offer a temperature-controlled, safer, but more expensive alternative. Though heel warming is commonly performed to increase blood flow, this protocol is actually based more on theoretical grounds than on any solid evidence that it works. Two studies have claimed that heel warming does not increase blood flow; however, the studies were not blinded (1, 2). It is costly in terms of time and consumables, so a well-designed study to resolve this question would be welcome. Are finger sticks on infants safe? Yes, they can be performed with special safety measures. Special lancets less than 1.5-mm thick can be used once heel sticks are no longer an option and after 6 months of age. At that age, distance from the skin surface to bone and cartilage in the middle finger is only 2.5 mm (3). REFERENCES
What should be the temperature of the heel warming device for the newborn's heel?The product triggers an exothermic reaction that increases temperatures to about 104°F (40°C). Once the baby's blood circulation improves, caregivers will have an easier time collecting blood samples from the infant.
Why is it necessary to warm an infant's foot prior to a heel puncture?Warming of the heel prior to incision is based on the supposition that an increase in skin temperature causes an increase in blood flow which should provide a larger volume of blood to sample.
Where should a heel stick be performed on an infant?It is safe to perform a heel stick if the puncture site is limited to the medial and lateral planter aspects of each heel pad, specifically medial to a visual line drawn from the middle of the big toe extending posterior to the heel or lateral to a line drawn from between the fourth and fifth toes and extending ...
What is the maximum recommended puncture depth when performing a heel stick on an infant?Therefore, in order to avoid calcaneal puncture and the risk of osteochondritis, heel puncture in the newborn should be done: (1) on the most medial or lateral portions of the plantar surface of the heel; (2) no deeper than 2.4 mm; (3) not on the posterior curvature of the heel; and (4) not through previous puncture ...
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