Transition of the preterm infant to an open crib.

One of the most important steps in preparing a preterm infant for discharge is the weaning from a thermoregulated environment to an open crib. This research utilization project tested a research-based protocol to wean very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants to an open crib. Two hundred seventy infants from 10 hospitals were enrolled in this project. The mean gestational age at birth was 29.3 +/- 2.8 weeks. The mean birth weight for the VLBW infants was 1,118.05 +/- 269.64 g. The mean weight when the infants were moved to an open crib was 1,598 +/- 135.7 g. The mean time for temperature stabilization after the infant was placed in an open crib was 63 +/- 41 minutes. This research utilization project has proven to be successful in that standardization of a protocol for weaning preterm infants is possible and preterm infants can be moved to an open crib at a much lower weight than has been shown in earlier clinical trials.