Frequently asked questions

Traditional skin-to-skin care works well for stable preterm babies. For the smallest and sickest babies, on ventilation, with fragile skin, umbilical lines and unstable temperature, it is often delayed or cut short, especially in the first days of life.

Skincubator is not meant to replace skin-to-skin care where it already works. It is built to make it possible in exactly this early, high-risk period.

Some units reach long sessions later in the stay, usually with exceptional staffing and parental presence. In most units, skin-to-skin time in the first critical days is still low and variable. Skincubator targets that gap, not the later stage where good practice already exists.

For the smallest babies, temperature during traditional skin-to-skin care depends on many things: gestational age, day of life, weight, the transfer, position, and the room itself. Short drops in temperature are common, and humidity is not controlled at all, even though very preterm skin loses water fast.

Skincubator keeps a controlled, humidified microenvironment around the baby on the parent’s chest. In a published study it held temperature and humidity more steadily than traditional skin-to-skin care. For larger babies who don’t need this, the environmental cover comes off, and the transfer pad and line anchoring keep working.

Today, these babies spend most of the day inside an incubator, which already limits touch and contact. Skincubator moves the incubator’s support around the parent and baby instead.

A parent–baby window opens when the baby’s temperature is stable, an adjustable mirror lets the parent see the baby’s face, and the cover can be removed when it isn’t needed. Parents can still choose traditional skin-to-skin care whenever they prefer.

It brings several safety and support functions together in one structure, built for medically complex babies. Parents and staff in our studies reported more confidence and less fear of dislodging a line, which is what makes longer sessions possible.

There is no motor inside, and the design absorbs surrounding noise. The baby can still hear a parent speaking softly, through the chest or through the open window. A removable darkening cover controls light.

Quick-release fasteners, organised line routing and open access let the team work on the baby in place, or return the baby to the incubator quickly. In a simulation study at Monash Newborn, Melbourne, nurses rated emergency access positively.

Everything that touches the baby is single-use, made from medical-grade, biocompatible materials that fit standard NICU infection-control protocols. Cleaning is part of the device’s regulatory validation testing.

There is a setup step. After that, the device makes the transfer to and from skin-to-skin care easier, and holds the baby and the lines in place through the session. In a simulation study, nurses rated its safety, handling and convenience higher than traditional skin-to-skin care.

Skincubator is designed for the early, high-risk period: babies under 2000 g, including under 1000 g, on respiratory support and with lines and tubes in place, from the day of birth. As babies stabilise, families move on to traditional skin-to-skin care.

Because the device holds the baby and the lines securely, a parent can rest, sleep or even work through a long session, and other family members can take turns. Families also get preparation and support materials, before the first session and at the bedside. In the program so far, families have reached six to fifteen hours a day.

Not yet. Skincubator is an investigational device, limited to investigational use pending regulatory authorization. All clinical use to date has taken place under approved research protocols. If your unit would like to take part in future studies, get in touch.