West Lothian midwife invents 'kangaroo pouch' scrubs for parents to snuggle new babies

A West Lothian midwife has created a special set of scrubs with a kangaroo-style pouch for birth partners to allow vital skin-to-skin contact to take place as soon as baby is born.

Stacey Boyle, a midwife with NHS Lothian, has invented the new product that has the potential to revolutionise neonatal care and improve outcomes for tiny newborn babies.

Babies delivered by Caesarean Section can be carefully placed into the sling-like pouch worn by the birth partner while the surgical team focus on the mum and the completion of the procedure.

It means that the baby can nestle inside the scrubs and reap all of the benefits of life-changing skin-to-skin contact which has been proven to regulate temperature, stabilise heartbeat, support steady breathing, and even help with early feeding, as well as improve long term health outcomes.

Stacey, 41, came up with the pioneering idea while working in theatre in St John’s Hospital, Livingston, and noticing how challenging skin-to-skin contact was for a mum after childbirth.

She said: “We know how good skin-to-skin can be, but it can also be challenging because of the size of the theatre table. Most women were uncomfortable trying to do it and it can be unsafe for babies when mums are lying flat.

“More and more birth partners were interested in stepping up to do skin-to-skin in the interim, but it meant they would have to take off their scrub tops while the baby was placed on their chest and covered with blankets or towels.

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“That doesn’t really sustain or assist in keeping babies warm and a lot of partners felt self-conscious. It was then that I wondered if there was a way for partners to have the skin-to-skin contact without taking off their scrubs.”

Stacey approached her line manager, Marianne Hay, Charge Midwife, and together they turned her idea into reality by helping to design and trial different types of material that would help keep babies at the right temperature.

Marianne said: “We made three different prototypes and we found the most effective design to be one where we used a recycled NHS fleece jacket as the covering material with a secure Velcro opening which was altered onto newly purchased scrubs.

“Our amazing sewing room staff, ward clerkess and laundry staff have been truly amazing in helping us to create this wonderful garment.

“I am so very proud of Stacey for all the work she has done and most importantly for believing in herself to create something that positively helps babies and their families following birth.”

After a huge team effort and lots of positive feedback from patients, Cozy Cuddle Scrubs (by Stacey), was born.

Alison MacDonald, Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of Stacey for her innovation and all the teams that have helped bring it to life.

“Her dedication to improving care for newborns and birthing partners is truly inspiring. By creating a solution that allows partners to provide vital skin-to-skin contact, she has taken an important step toward enhancing neonatal care and supporting families in those precious first moments.”

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Alongside NHS Lothian’s Research and Development team, formal NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health helped protect and register the design.

It means that Cozy Cuddle Scrubs (by Stacey)™ can now become more widely available through manufacturing partners.

Fiona Schaefer, East of Scotland Innovation Manager for InnoScot Health, said: “Cozy Cuddle Scrubs (by Stacey) is a game-changing innovation for promoting skin-to-skin contact with newborns.

“This is a fantastic example of the value of ideas emerging from within NHS Scotland. The scrubs have the potential to reach hospitals across the UK, and possibly even globally, improving neonatal care and outcomes for families.”

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