Infection Control on the Neonatal Unit : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Your baby’s hygiene is very important to us. These are some ways you can help us to prevent infection and make your babies safer.

Hand Hygiene

On entering the neonatal unit, remove all outdoor garments, roll up sleeves so arms are bare below the elbow and remove any bracelets or watches.
Clean your mobile phone with clinell wipes.
Put your outdoor garments either in the locker or in the coat hook.
Wash your hands at the basins in the reception area and you will be required to wash hands again on entering your baby’s nursery.
It is also important to wash your hands before and after contact with your baby, especially if you have changed the nappy.
Keep nails short.
Get siblings who are visiting to wash their hands as well.
If you are unsure if a staff member has washed their hands, it is ok to ask them.

Please do not come if you or siblings have any of the following symptoms: vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat, runny nose, temperature, new persistent cough or loss of taste and smell.
If you have a cold sore, we advise that you stay off the unit until the sore is dry and crusted over. The cold sore should be covered and aciclovir cream (such as Zovirax) should be applied as per instruction. Breastfeeding mothers with cold sores that have dried and are covered will be allowed to visit to encourage breastfeeding and promote breast milk production. Strict hand hygiene needs to take place and parents/carers with cold sores are advised not to kiss baby until completely healed. Partners/carers and any other nominated visitor may speak to the nurse in charge or the infection control nurse for advice.
We request that you not use your mobiles whilst interacting with your baby.
We understand that mobiles are a necessary resource but they carry germs, so wash hands after using your mobile.

A clean environment is very important to us and we would appreciate if you helped us by telling nursing staff if you think the environment or equipment is not clean enough.
Feel free to ask the nurse looking after your baby if you can help keep your baby’s space and incubator clean by cleaning with the correct wipes provided by the nurse.

Make sure you have washed and have clean skin and clothes before coming if you plan to cuddle your baby or do skin to skin.
Staff will provide parents/carers with a clean hospital gown to use for skin to skin. Ask staff to provide you with a gown as needed.
There is information about breast milk and storage, please speak to a member of staff about this.

Your baby will have swabs done every week to check for any germs that may be resistant to common antibiotics.
If swabs come back positive for resistant germs, your baby may need to be nursed in an incubator and there will be a sign at the cotside to remind nurses and doctors that they need to take contact precautions.
Let the ward know if any members of your immediate family have been in contact with chicken pox, shingles, vomiting or diarrhoea or anyone who has a rash or infectious illness.

It is a good idea to bring in a pack of medium or large sized plastic bags to keep in the incubator or cot to be used for putting dirty clothes, blankets and toys in to take home. All toys must be washable.
It is important to take your baby’s dirty clothes and own blankets home daily to be washed. Clothes and blankets, or any linen for baby that is washed at home whilst baby is in hospital, needs to be washed at 60 degrees.

For some infections, especially those that can be airborne in some situations (such as COVID-19, flu or unexplained rashes), your baby will need to be cared for in an isolation room (a single room) and the nurse will wear an apron, gloves and sometimes a mask.
It is important to wash your hands when you enter and leave this room and use alcohol gel after washing hands.
If your baby is nursed in a single/ isolation room, check with the nurse in charge if you are able to use the common areas on the unit, such as the parents’ kitchen or the expressing room as an airborne infection and other infections could be passed on to others.
You may be asked to self-isolate or be tested according to Government guidance if you are positive for or have been exposed to COVID-19.

There is an Neonatal Infection Control Nurse – Bronwen Shuttleworth – on the unit Tuesday,Thursday and Friday to assist with any further queries.
Any other member of staff can assist with queries relating to infection control.