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Crit Care Nurse 2002 Oct; 22(5): 96-95
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In Our Unit

Crib covers create restful environment for tiniest patients

Cindy Bryant, RN, BSN

Cindy Bryant, RN, BSN, is a neonatal nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston. For more information on the use of crib covers at Texas Children’s Hospital, e-mail her at cgbryantrn{at}aol.com.

"In Our Unit" highlights unique practices, innovations, research, or resourceful solutions to commonly encountered problems in critical care areas and settings where critically ill patients are cared for. If you have an idea for an upcoming "In Our Unit," send it to CRITICAL CARE NURSE, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; fax, (949) 362-2049; e-mail, ccn{at}aacn.org.

In the neonatal intensive care unit and level II nurseries at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, seriously ill infants and neonates are enjoying more privacy and sleeping more soundly thanks to a relatively simple sewing project and the helping hands of volunteers and parents.

Because Texas Children’s Hospital, with 120 beds, is one of the largest and busiest neonatal care services in the United States, we faced a challenge in providing the dark, quiet and restful environment that is so vital to our patients. However, we found a solution in easy-to-sew crib covers.

These covers help us to consistently improve the nursery environment, which goes a long way toward encouraging growth and development among infants born prematurely or with serious health problems. The handmade quilted crib and isolette covers minimize the effects of bright lights, noise and movement in the nursery, creating an environment that is conducive to rest and healing.

I developed a simple pattern by draping sheets over a crib and isolette and tracing a pattern that anyone with basic sewing skills can use. The cover, which also can be fashioned to fit an incubator, drapes over the top and down the sides of the crib. Side ties secure the fabric.

At first glance, the cheerful covers simply seem like a nice way to brighten the nursery. However, the restful environment created by the covers supports the maturation of sleep states in early infancy.

The covers not only filter noise and light but, because neutral colors are used, also help avoid over-stimulation of premature infants. Studies have shown that sudden noise causes sleep disruption, crying, agitation, decreased oxygen levels in the blood, and elevated heart rates in babies. A Texas Children’s Hospital study found that a crib cover can reduce sound by 50%.


Nurses at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston are using handmade crib covers to reduce sound and light in the newborn nurseries as part of an ongoing initiative to optimize environments for infant patients. Here, Cindy Bryant (standing), a neonatal nurse, and Carol Turnage Carrier, clinical nurse specialist, demonstrate crib covers. Photo by Jim Deleon, Texas Children’s Hospital

Once the crib covers began appearing in the nursery, in soothing patterns of hearts and flowers, teddy bears and balloons, the babies’ parents inquired about them.

Many mothers asked for the pattern so they could sew covers for their babies. This helps the mothers, who often feel powerless when they have sick children, to feel that they are doing something special for their babies. The parents, as well as hospital volunteers, have sewn dozens of covers, and they really enjoy the project.

Babies develop sleep patterns that continue into adulthood, and it’s vital that nurses positively impact these patterns. Crib covers optimize the nursery environment so that babies at Texas Children’s Hospital will have the best possible outcome.

The covers are a good example of simple things that bedside nurses can do to greatly change the course of a baby’s outcome. The crib covers are just a small part of the overall picture. Everyone who is involved in infant care must have the babies’ development in mind. Clustering care, snuggle ups, and dimming lights all are part of the effort to make the worlds of these small infants a little more tolerable.





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