title: The influence of equipment weights on neonatal daily weight measurements.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the weight of commonly used pieces of neonatal equipment that can affect the accuracy of daily weight measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one pieces of equipment commonly attached to the neonate at the time of daily weight measurement were selected for analysis. Three examples of each piece of equipment were weighed; each one was weighed three times. All weights were obtained using a digital electronic diaper scale calibrated to 1 gm accuracy and precision.
  
  
  METHODS
  Average weights for pieces of routine nursery equipment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Equipment weights ranged from 1 gm for an umbilical catheter to 23 gm for a pulse oximeter probe. There was no variation among the individual examples for 19 of the 21 pieces of equipment. There was a small variation in weight for the pulse oximeter probe and the arm board, but these variations were of no clinical significance.
authors: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, Nashua 03061, USA.
authors: M G
authors: MG
authors: Hermansen
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Hermansen
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D001835:Body Weight; D002138:Calibration; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014894:Weights and Measures / Q000592:standards*