The Zaky® Value Overview For NICU and PICU

For Hospital Evaluation – NICU & PICU

The Zaky® NICU & PICU Value Overview

Ergonomically Engineered Support Tools for Premature and Medically Fragile Infants in NICU, PICU, and CICU Settings

The Zaky® family of products was designed by a PhD ergonomics and safety engineer and NICU parent to replace improvisation with standardized, trauma-informed, developmentally supportive care tools for hospitalized infants and young children.

Important: The Zaky ZAK® and The Zaky HUG® support containment, positioning, and family-centered care. They do not replace clinical judgment, institutional protocols, or required supervision, and they are not restraints or medical treatment devices.

1. Why NICU & PICU Benefit from Purpose-Designed Support Tools

In Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units (NICU, PICU, CICU), infants and young children are often medically fragile, connected to multiple lines and devices, and exposed to frequent handling, procedures, and environmental stressors. Parents are navigating fear, uncertainty, and grief, while staff must balance safety, ergonomics, and developmental care.

Many units continue to rely on improvised methods—rolled blankets, unsecured positioning aids, consumer wraps—to provide containment or support Skin-to-Skin (Kangaroo) Care. These improvisations introduce variation between caregivers and shifts and may not consistently reflect trauma-informed, evidence-informed best practices.

The Zaky ZAK® and The Zaky HUG® were engineered specifically to address these challenges, offering standardized, reproducible approaches to infant containment, comfort, and Skin-to-Skin support that can be integrated into existing NICU, PICU, and CICU safety and developmental care frameworks.

Trauma-informed perspective: Consistent containment and family contact can support regulation and bonding for babies and families experiencing prolonged hospitalization, while also supporting staff in delivering predictable, compassionate care.

2. The Zaky ZAK® & The Zaky HUG® – Product Overview

The Zaky ZAK® – Skin-to-Skin (Kangaroo) Care Support

The Zaky ZAK® is a soft, adjustable, ergonomically engineered wrap designed to support caregiver-led Skin-to-Skin (Kangaroo) Care with infants approximately 1–15 lbs, according to institutional criteria.

  • Provides gentle containment around the caregiver’s torso and infant’s body.
  • Encourages neutral head/neck alignment with a visible airway.
  • Supports upright Skin-to-Skin positioning when eligibility criteria are met.
  • Can be used over clothing when direct Skin-to-Skin is not possible, per unit policy.
  • Color-coded sizing allows quick selection and adjustment across a torso size range.
  • Quiet, medical-grade zippers (no Velcro) for low-disturbance clinical access.

Intended settings: NICU, PICU, CICU, mother–baby units, and step-down units when the child and caregiver meet institutional criteria for Skin-to-Skin Care and the child falls within the size and weight range of the device.

The Zaky HUG® – Developmental Care & Comfort Support

The Zaky HUG® is a modular, weighted, hand-shaped support designed to provide gentle, stable boundaries and proprioceptive input for infants and young children in intensive care and step-down settings.

  • Supports flexed, midline-oriented posture without restricting spontaneous movement.
  • Provides consistent tactile and proprioceptive input to support regulation and comfort.
  • Can be positioned around or near the infant to simulate the reassuring presence of a caregiver’s hands.
  • Can be gently scented with a caregiver’s natural smell (per hospital policy) to promote bonding.
  • Used in incubators, cribs, and hospital beds in NICU, PICU, and CICU.
  • Laundered using hospital protocols for soft cotton infant linens.

Intended settings: NICU, PICU, CICU, pediatric wards, and transitional care, according to unit positioning and safe-sleep policies.

Packaging: Each packaged unit includes one The Zaky ZAK® or one The Zaky HUG®, a reusable wash bag for laundering per hospital protocol for baby clothing or linens, and a printed quick-start instruction card.

3. Intended Populations & Eligibility (NICU, PICU, CICU)

The Zaky® products are intended to support infants and young children who meet institutional criteria for:

  • Developmental and comfort care (Zaky HUG®).
  • Skin-to-Skin (Kangaroo) Care with a caregiver (Zaky ZAK®).

NICU

  • Preterm and late preterm infants, according to NICU stability and eligibility criteria.
  • Term infants receiving intensive or intermediate care.
  • Infants approximately 1–15 lbs for Zaky ZAK®; wider range for Zaky HUG® per positioning policy.

PICU & CICU

  • Medically fragile infants and young children approved for Skin-to-Skin Care by the care team (Zaky ZAK® within weight range).
  • Infants and young children requiring developmental and comfort support (Zaky HUG®), per unit guidelines.
  • Use subject to sedation, mobility, device, and lifting criteria defined by the PICU/CICU.

Not for use when the caregiver or infant/child does not qualify for Skin-to-Skin Care according to institutional criteria, or when unit policies restrict the use of adjunct supports.

4. Safety, Risk Management, & Protocol Alignment

The Zaky ZAK® and The Zaky HUG® were developed using principles of ergonomics, biomechanics, and clinical risk management. They are intended to be used as part of existing safety and developmental care bundles—not in place of them.

What The Zaky ZAK® Supports

  • Secure containment and alignment for eligible infants (1–15 lbs) during Skin-to-Skin Care.
  • Airway visibility and neutral head/neck positioning as guided by the care team.
  • Standardized handling and transfer steps for Skin-to-Skin (e.g., bed ⇄ caregiver).
  • Low-disturbance clinical access via folding or partial unzipping.

What The Zaky HUG® Supports

  • Boundaries and proprioceptive input for infants and young children.
  • Flexed, midline-oriented positioning per developmental care guidelines.
  • Comfort and familiarity between Skin-to-Skin sessions or when caregivers cannot hold.

What The Zaky® Products Do Not Do

  • Do not replace hospital fall-prevention, mobility, or extubation-prevention protocols.
  • Do not determine when an infant or child is clinically ready for Skin-to-Skin or repositioning.
  • Are not restraints, immobilization devices, or line/tube securing devices.
  • Do not replace staffing, monitoring, respiratory management, or alarm systems.
Safety statement: The Zaky ZAK® and The Zaky HUG® support standardized containment, positioning, and family engagement. When used in combination with established multidisciplinary best practices, they contribute to comprehensive safety and developmental care approaches in NICU, PICU, and CICU settings.

5. Clinical & Operational Value for NICU & PICU

Clinical & Developmental Priorities Supported

  • Secure, developmentally supportive containment for fragile infants and young children.
  • Upright Skin-to-Skin support when permitted by institutional criteria (ZAK®).
  • Support for sleep protection, regulation, and reduced environmental inconsistency (HUG®).
  • Facilitates parent involvement in daily care and comfort.

Operational & Workflow Advantages

  • Reduces reliance on improvised tools and workarounds.
  • Standardizes education and practice across shifts and disciplines.
  • Color-coded sizing and intuitive design save time at the bedside.
  • Machine washable; integrates with existing linen and laundry workflows.
Moving from improvised solutions to an engineered system supports consistency, reduces variation, and enhances both clinical workflow and family experience across NICU, PICU, and CICU.

6. Implementation & Pilot Evaluation (30–90 Days)

Suggested Pilot Design

  • Define inclusion and exclusion criteria based on existing NICU/PICU/CICU policies.
  • Identify clinical champions (developmental care leads, PT/OT, nursing educators, NNP/MD, RT leadership).
  • Provide a 5–10 minute in-service plus bedside quick-reference materials.
  • Introduce:
    • The Zaky ZAK® for eligible Skin-to-Skin sessions (within weight range and criteria).
    • The Zaky HUG® for bedside containment and comfort support as permitted.

Suggested Process-Focused Metrics

  • Number and duration of Skin-to-Skin sessions (per local documentation practices).
  • Staff-reported ease of use and workflow integration for ZAK® and HUG®.
  • Parent-reported comfort and confidence in holding and comforting their infant/child.
  • Any device-related concerns documented via existing reporting mechanisms.

7. References & Evidence Context

The following peer-reviewed literature and global guidelines provide context for Skin-to-Skin Care, developmental care, and risk-awareness in intensive care environments. They inform the philosophy behind The Zaky® product family but do not imply specific product-linked clinical outcomes:

  • Outcomes, Resource Use, and Financial Costs of Unplanned Extubations in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Pediatrics. 2020;145(6):e20192819. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-2819.
  • World Health Organization. Kangaroo Mother Care: A Practical Guide. WHO Press.
  • Feldman R. Parent–infant synchrony and neurodevelopment. Current Opinion in Neurobiology.
  • Als H. Neuroprotective developmental care model (NIDCAP). Pediatrics.
  • White-Traut R, et al. Developmental care and physiologic/behavioral regulation in preterm infants. Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing.

References support general neonatal and pediatric intensive care principles and do not constitute claims about specific outcomes achieved with The Zaky ZAK® or The Zaky HUG®.

8. Contact & Value Analysis Support

To request samples, pricing, implementation resources, or a comprehensive Value Analysis packet for NICU/PICU/CICU:

The Zaky® Team
info@thezaky.com
www.thezaky.com

Clinical and Legal Notice: This page is intended for healthcare professionals and Value Analysis teams. It does not replace medical judgment, institutional policies, or formal training. Each hospital is responsible for defining its own eligibility criteria, supervision requirements, fall-prevention practices, and protocols for Skin-to-Skin Care and use of The Zaky ZAK® and The Zaky HUG®. Not for use when the caregiver or infant/child does not qualify for Skin-to-Skin Care or adjunct supports under institutional criteria.

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