Why We Can't Knit Lace for the NICU

You may have seen this post going around Facebook :

         

                           

Bailey's toe with a 24 hour difference. I don't post pics that are grotesque; however, I think this is appropriate to share with other parents of young ones. Al...ways check footies, booties, and baby socks. I had adorable bear booties on her for almost 6 hours before taking them off and discovering a string/thread had managed to wrap (with the help of little wiggling toes) around her toe, cutting circulation off. If it wasn't for her "hurt" cries while I was rubbing her foot I would of never bothered to check until I dressed her for bed late in the evening. Please, always turn those booties, socks and onsies inside out to check for loose strings.....I know i will from this point forward. 3 kiddos and this is the first time this has happened. — with Valerie Moreillon and 2 others.

This is the perfect illustration for why we cannot knit lacy fabrics for the NICU, no matter how lovely they are.  Think of how small the fingers and toes of term babies are.  Now imagine the diameters of those digits as half, or even smaller than that. The capillary beds in the fingers and toes of premature babies are so delicate that getting a digit caught in a bit of lace or with a lace string wrapped round would so easily cut off blood flow that the baby could lose that finger or toe. 

 

 That's why I don't allow any lacy crocheted knitted items in our NICU.

Comments

[Pat]

While I do not knit lace for the NICU, my group also knits burial gowns and demise pouches for those who do not survive. We do use simple lace, such as Feather and Fan, in those items. The nurses have told us the parents like the lace touches, because it makes the babies look more special.