NICU Radiant Warmers: Popular Types at the Best Prices

Doctors and nurses always want the best possible care for their patients, and infant radiant warmers can make a huge difference in the quality of life of infants who are unable to self-thermoregulate at birth.

This guide discusses what a radiant warmer is, how it differs from an incubator and how it works. We will also discuss some important things to keep in mind when purchasing infant radiant warmers.

What is a Radiant Warmer for a Newborn?

Infant radiant warmers are heating equipment for babies which help save infants' lives and make them feel warm and comfortable.

A radiant warmer could also be called an infant radiant warmer, which can be found in the NICU department. Sometimes, some people refer to it as an incubator, however, this labeling is erroneous as an incubator is not the same as a radiant warmer.

Difference Between the Incubator and Radiant Warmer

Although infant radiant warmers and incubators are similar in looks, they work differently.

A radiant warmer, also known as the NICU radiant warmer, works by regulating the temperature of the infants until they can achieve self-thermoregulation. NICU Radiant warmers often have open access and so monitoring and resuscitation can easily be performed along with any necessary procedures.

Incubators on the other hand are controlled enclosures that are designed to imitate, as much as possible, a mother’s womb to regulate temperature, humidity, airflow, minimizing sound, and often, providing an oxygen-controlled environment. Incubators are primarily used for babies who are delivered preterm or for babies who cannot be exposed to constant external unregulated temperature.

Components of a Radiant Warmer

The basic components of a radiant warmer are a bassinet for the baby to lie in, and a lamp with a parabolic mirror to provide and spread radiant heat. A probe for measuring the baby's temperature. A heater output control knob, a temperature selection panel, and visual and audio alarms for safety are also vital components of a radiant warmer.

Types of Radiant Warmers

A manual infant radiant warmer is in its most basic form and usually does not have several features. For this model, the modes are manual and servo modes and you may need to manually switch from one mode to the other.

An automatic infant radiant warmer does not require a lot of adjustment on your part at all because these types of infant radiant warmers can maintain the required temperature automatically with a built-in thermostat that measures the baby’s temperature. Most automatic radiant warmers have 3 modes i.e baby mode, manual mode, and preheating mode to help the infant maintain a stabilized temperature.

NICU Radiant Warmer Uses/Applications

NICU Radiant warmers are frequently used to give thermal support to newborns in the delivery room, critically ill infants who need frequent nursing care, and sick infants who are being treated in a cold environment.

It is majorly used for infants that require open access for monitoring while also being provided with external warmth.

What to Look for When Buying an Infant Radiant Warmer

When deciding on which radiant warmer to buy, you should consider several factors. These factors include:

Safety Consideration

When buying a radiant warmer, you should ensure that it is safe for use on the infant and by the caregiver. Make sure the radiant warmer heats up in the time specified in the manufacturer’s manual. Also, make sure that you conduct a check on all the surfaces that might come in contact with the infant and ensure that they do not get too hot.

One of the key safety features you should consider is whether the radiant warmer has a working visual and audio alarm system, or at the very least, an audio alarm to inform doctors or nurses when there is a power outage or when the baby's temperature is higher than 37.5-degrees or lower than 36.5-degree celsius. You must ensure that the radiant warmer does not get to be too warm or too cold as these could lead to hyperthermia and hypothermia respectively.

You also would do well to check whether the radiant warmer has gotten the requisite safety certifications from agencies such as FDA, GMP, and any other authority charged with issuing such certifications in your locale.

Models

A radiant warmer may be either manual or automatic as we already mentioned. You would do well to ensure that you pick the right one for your hospital.

You should also try to get the best models with the best features. A modern model which has Trenddelenburg tilting ability, LCD screens, or an APGAR timer is a great choice. Models which combine all these features and more are even greater choices.

Ease of Use

Another consideration you need to make is how easy it will be for you to operate an infant radiant warmer. You want to find out if an infant radiant warmer can easily maintain a steady temperature or not, what kind of timer it has, etc.

It also needs to feature an audio alarm in case there's something wrong with an infant's condition like low heat/temperature, fever, etc

You also need to consider how easy it will be for you to clean the NICU radiant warmer as well as its maintenance needs after use.

Check if there are any cleaning methods suggested by the manufacturer in order not to damage the infant radiant warmer due to a lack of proper knowledge about this product itself.

You also want the infant radiant warmer to have an easy-to-see control panel so that you can easily see all the parameters the infant radiant warmer has. This way, if an infant's condition changes, you can quickly adjust the warmer’s settings without too much difficulty.

Size

You should ensure that the NICU radiant warmer you want to purchase is of the right size to fit the rooms where you want to place them. You might want to get a radiant warmer that is adjustable in height.

Having a radiant warmer with the right size helps to keep infants comfortable and helps for better manoeuvering and access to the baby while ensuring that neither the baby nor the caregiver comes in contact with heated surfaces.

Brands

When purchasing nicu radiant warmers, it’s best to buy from the best manufacturers and dealers. You would also want to inspect the certifications which the manufacturer has for their products.

The relevant certificates you should look for in a manufacturer are certifications from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Food and Drug Agency (FDA), Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). etc.

Other than certifications, you should also check for the quality of service from the brand. Medwish.com is a brand that ticks all the right boxes concerning certification and is dedicated to delivering high-quality products.

Warranty

A valid warranty on a radiant warmer is another important consideration when buying one because the warranty ensures that you don't spend money buying something that may not work properly or last for a while.

Some warranties give assurances that products will be replaced if they break down after a period ranging from a year to three years.

Some infant radiant warmers also come with a warranty that ensures that goods receive financial compensation consequent upon losses caused by natural disasters or accidents during the shipping process.

But you should always ensure that you read the terms and conditions of the warranty before purchasing.

Accessories

The ideal nicu radiant warmers should also have a lot of accessories available such as ventilators to aid babies in breathing, and casters for helping in moving the baby when necessary and without removing it from the infant warmer.

An infant warmer with phototherapy lamps is also an excellent addition as this can be used when trying to treat hyperbilirubinemia and jaundice.

Scales are another useful accessory you should look out for when buying an infant warmer as these can help to monitor the infant's weight after birth and during exposure to radiant heat.

The infant radiant warmer you're going to buy should also have an easy-to-see control panel with all the parameters infant radiant warmer has so that you can easily see them at a glance without having to do too much effort or bending down every time.

This way, if the infant's thermal condition changes, you can quickly adjust the radiant warmer's settings without having too much difficulty.

Other accessories which a radiant warmer can have include Oxygen and Air Blenders, Storage drawers, Integrated resuscitation units, etc.

Radiant Warmer Price guide

There are a variety of radiant warmer brands with a varied range of prices. Some of them are listed below:

• The AG-IRW003A Medical Obstetrics Infant Radiant Warmer With PVC Infant Resuscitator costs USD 3,118.50 per Set.
• The AG-IRW003 Medical Infant Radiant Warmer With Oxygen Supply System (Standard) costs USD 6,289.50 per Set.
• The IRW-ECOSY930 Infant Radiant Warmer costs USD 3,139.08 per set.
• The NBDW-HKN-93C Infant Radiant Warmer costs USD 8,996.40 per set.
• The AG-IRW002 Medical Infant Radiant Warmer With Three Control Modes costs USD 1,753.50 per Set

Where to Buy Radiant Warmers in Bulk With Wholesale Pricing

Medwish.com is an excellent platform to order radiant warmers in bulk for your hospital. Buying radiant warmers in bulk also comes with the benefit of less stress as the MEDWISH.com team collaborates with top service providers in several fields including logistics, customs clearance, etc. in order to help customers and medical institutions get quality products delivered safely and on time.

Wholesale Price Advantage on Medwish.com

Buying nicu radiant warmers in bulk from Medwish.com confers the significant advantage of you paying less than you ordinarily would when buying from local retailers. It also helps you to establish a direct line of contact with the company.

Ultimately, buying nicu radiant warmers in bulk from Medwish.com helps you to get more facilities for your hospital or health institution and would help in saving costs without compromising on quality and safety.

Bottom-Line

Getting the right infant radiant warmers is key to improving the quality of healthcare delivered to infant patients and it is important to settle for nothing less than the best.

This guide has explored what factors are most important when buying an infant radiant warmer and where they can be gotten.

Why not make that choice today and get the best nicu radiant warmers that would help you in delivering quality medical care for babies in your hospitals.