Babies' need for skin-to-skin contact with family members can be balanced with the need to prevent Staphylococcus aureus infections in neonatal intensive care units, according to a white paper from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. "Infants remain at risk for Staph infections, yet there are effective strategies to decrease transmission that can easily be applied within the NICU without sacrificing the vital benefits these very young, tiny infants receive from care and bonding with parents, caregivers or other close relatives," said Ibukun Akinboyo, lead author of the article in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

High-calorie formula was linked to a shorter length of hospital stay for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome, compared with other formula types, researchers reported in Pediatrics. The findings were based on data involving 47 Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative sites that cared for 546 infants with NAS.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order designed to lower drug prices by linking prices paid by Medicare to prices paid in other countries. The executive order replaces an order issued in July, and it applies to drugs purchased under Medicare Part B and Part D.

Tech writer John Elliot explores several smart devices that can help parents of infants and young children secure their homes, such as the Lifebuoy Pool Alarm System, which sends out a high-pitched alarm when it detects someone falling in. The Arlo Baby smart camera can monitor and soothe crying babies, while the Abode window and door sensors tells parents which entryway has been opened or closed.

Researchers in New York City identified five ways that regulators can encourage doctors and other primary care providers to offer telehealth services beyond expanding Medicare coverage. The New York School of Global Public Health and the city's Department of Health cited physician surveys in saying telehealth policies must address issues of affordability, acceptability, accommodation, availability and accessibility.

Nurse researchers looked at the repetitive ethical challenges confronted by nurses and developed a process dubbed the 4Rs, which stands for recognize, release, reconsider and restart, discussed in further detail in the journal AACN Advanced Critical Care. "It's a very empowering way to practice nursing because it really focuses on, 'What can I do?' It taps into the creative problem solving that's a strength of the nursing approach to care," co-author and critical care nurse Kathleen Turner said.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has released a patient safety report that includes 17 recommendations developed by 27 groups, including representatives of the American Nurses Association. The report calls for national adoption of evidence-based best practices, creating a systems-based approach to workplace safety and establishing shared safety goals across the care continuum.

A study in the Journal of Nursing Administration found that 43% of nurses felt competent in basic first aid and triage, but not in other emergency response categories. Nurses play a crucial role in disaster response, and study co-author Charleen McNeill, an associate professor at East Carolina University College of Nursing, says a restructuring of formal disaster nursing education is needed.