Shiny sticker things on newborns?

[kaltkalt]

Whenever they show newborn babies at the hospital on TV, I always see these shiny gold sticker things on their chests. They look like gold heart stickers, or something like that, probably about the size of a silver dollar. Anyone know what these are? I can't even come up with a good guess.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by kaltkalt

Whenever they show newborn babies at the hospital on TV, I always see these shiny gold sticker things on their chests. They look like gold heart stickers, or something like that, probably about the size of a silver dollar. Anyone know what these are? I can't even come up with a good guess.

They're stickers which hold the end of the temperature probe wire to the baby's skin so that the body temperature can be constantly monitored. Thermometers, in other words. They also come in teddy bear shapes, and sometimes they're silver, not gold.

ETA: They're not generally used for full-term newborns unless they have a medical condition the staff is monitoring. Most full-term newborns can regulate their own body temperature pretty well as long as you clothe/cover them appropriately, and a temperature check every few hours with a regular thermometer in the armpit is all they need. But preemies and sick newborns may have trouble keeping their bodies warm enough, so they're constantly monitored with these stick on probes. Depending on the kind of bed they're in and how it's set, the bed may warm up if it senses they're getting too cold, or an alarm may go off to alert a nurse that she needs to do something to warm the baby.

[kaltkalt]

Is it a wireless probe? I've never noticed any wires coming off them (I know it's TV but they try really hard to be accurate with such things, particularly on medical shows). Now that you mention it I think I have seen some that were teddy bear shaped.

[Koxinga]

Adorable, smart little Alpha babies get gold stickers, while Beta babies get silver stickers. Gamma infants aren't nearly as cute or smart, and those are affixed with khaki stickers.

Ugh. I loathe khaki.

[kaltkalt]

I wouldn't have been surprised if it was a marketing thing where parents can pay $100 for a silver sticker, $300 for a gold sticker, etc... and they get to keep the sticker as a souvenire ("we paid $300 for this sticker when you were born"). Parents looking into the nursery would all compete over whose baby has the most expensive sticker. Visitors would know how much each baby is loved by its parents based on what type of sticker is on the baby. This was my best guess...

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by kaltkalt

Is it a wireless probe? I've never noticed any wires coming off them (I know it's TV but they try really hard to be accurate with such things, particularly on medical shows). Now that you mention it I think I have seen some that were teddy bear shaped.

I've never seen a wireless probe, no. Let me see if I can find a decent picture for you:

Here's a closeup, where you can see the wire. I've never seen the fish shape before...cute!

Here's a picture of the wires and covers separated. See how the wires have different plugs? You need to match the plug to the kind of bed or monitor you're using. The sticker goes over the end that just ends, the plug goes into the machine.

This picture is of a preemie, so if you find that sort of thing disturbing, don't click. This little guy has the heart shaped probe cover sticker on his lower right abdomen. The blue round stickers are monitoring the electrical activity of his heart. The tube in his mouth is so they can feed him breastmilk or formula. The thing around his wrist is helping to hold an IV line in place.

I'm also reminded, looking at pictures, that they come in duck shape, too. There's no significance to the shape or color that I know of, just different manufacturers.

[kaltkalt]

Whynot: ok, looks like you're right. Thanks for the info, this has been bugging me for a while. I'd never noticed any wires coming off the sticker things on TV shows before, otherwise some sort of probe (temp, PO2, etc) would have been my 1st guess.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by kaltkalt

Whynot: ok, looks like you're right. Thanks for the info, this has been bugging me for a while. I'd never noticed any wires coming off the sticker things on TV shows before, otherwise some sort of probe (temp, PO2, etc) would have been my 1st guess.

It's very probably that the costumer director and/or other actors don't want to mess with a wire, so they just put the sticker on the actor with no probe. Hollywood. Don't get me started on rebreather masks that inflate and deflate when an actor breathes, or actors intubating patients with the laryngoscope in their right hand.

[corkboard]

My preemie daughter had a gold heart-shaped one right over her heart while she was in the NICU. I thought it was cute.

[Mangetout]

I believe they're shiny for insulation, allowing the probed patch of skin to warm to core body temperature, which is a better thing to measure than surface temperature.

[aerodave]

What a timely thread! My son Evan was born last Wednesday, and I've got a photo that shows just what the OP is talking about. This is really just an opportunity to be the proud dad and show off pictures of my newborn. =)

FWIW, he wasn't premature or sick. They just had this on him while he was under the warmer in the nursery for his initial assessment. Which makes sense, as he had to be naked while being checked out and after being bathed. He only had it on while in the nursery for half an hour or so when he was 2 hours old.

The probe was attached to the warmer, and appeared to be part of its feedback mechanism so that it could regulate his skin temperature with closed-loop control. I presume (as an engineer, I was trying to speculate on how the system worked, myselff) that the foil is there to prevent radiant heating of the probe directly from the warmer, instead allowing the probe it to measure skin temperature, which is the parameter of interest.

Oh, and just because I know everyone cares soooo much...here are a couple more of the little guy: 1 day old 5 days old

[runner pat]

Makes you wonder if Calvin had a frownie face sticker.

[Duckster]

"Under penalty of law, this sticker shall not be removed except by the consumer."

[Sally Mander]

Originally Posted by aerodave

1 day old

Pictures like this really need to have a warning on them. Are you trying to kill us with the cute?!?
Congrats, Dad!

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by aerodave

Oh, and just because I know everyone cares soooo much...here are a couple more of the little guy: 1 day old 5 days old

Squeee! He's so adorable. That 5 day picture, especially, needs to be in a nice frame somewhere - he has personality already, and that picture shows it.

Congratulations on the noob!

[papergirl]

Originally Posted by aerodave

This is really just an opportunity to be the proud dad and show off pictures of my newborn. =)

That is one adorable baby, aerodave. Congratulations!

[Shmendrik]

Originally Posted by kaltkalt

Whenever they show newborn babies at the hospital on TV, I always see these shiny gold sticker things on their chests. They look like gold heart stickers, or something like that, probably about the size of a silver dollar. Anyone know what these are? I can't even come up with a good guess.

Great username/post combo.

[Serenata67]

Originally Posted by aerodave

What a timely thread! My son Evan was born last Wednesday, and I've got a photo that shows just what the OP is talking about. This is really just an opportunity to be the proud dad and show off pictures of my newborn. =)
...
Oh, and just because I know everyone cares soooo much...here are a couple more of the little guy: 1 day old 5 days old

Congrats, Dad!

[janis_and_c0]

He's beautiful!! Mazel Tov, aerodave!

[Rhythmdvl]

Originally Posted by Koxinga

Adorable, smart little Alpha babies get gold stickers, while Beta babies get silver stickers. Gamma infants aren't nearly as cute or smart, and those are affixed with khaki stickers.

Safe to assume khaki stickers are produced on a Bokanovsky press?