Hospitals Using Joeyband® Report Healthier Outcomes for Mothers and Newborns

New clinical findings show that North American-designed skin-to-skin support device helps reduce opioid use, NICU admissions, and symptoms of maternal anxiety

TORONTO, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ - As skin-to-skin care (SSC) becomes a global postpartum standard, new clinical results from hospitals across North America validate the measurable benefits of Joeyband® — a Canadian-made, FDA-registered device supporting safe, uninterrupted SSC in all birth settings. The company will attend AWHONN 2025 (June 21–25, Orlando) to share recent findings with maternal health leaders.

Developed to secure newborns on the birthing parent's chest during SSC, Joeyband is in over 200 hospitals across North America and the UK. Results highlight improvements in three key areas:

Faster Recovery & Reduced Opioid Use

Hospitals using Joeyband report reduced opioid use in post-anesthesia care, as SSC has been shown to lower postpartum pain and anxiety.

"The Joeyband has been a valuable part of our efforts to improve recovery for C-section patients," said Camie Bruhweiler, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Clinical Quality Outcomes Manager at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center. "It's helped 70% of our patients hold their babies' skin-to-skin in the operating room, and 58% of scheduled C-sections required no opioids during hospitalization."

"Patients appeared calmer and less anxious," said Wendy Rosen, MSN, RNC. "Newborns were all normothermic and euglycemic, and our nurses' comfort level with SSC improved."

Healthier Outcomes for Babies

Joeyband can improve breastfeeding success and reduce hypothermia and hypoglycemia—key drivers of NICU admissions. At BJC HealthCare, Joeyband use during cesarean recovery led to a significant increase in exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge.

"Cesarean births often create challenges to early breastfeeding, but when we introduced the Joeyband, we saw a 19.6% increase in breastfeeding rates," said Jennifer Hawn, DNP, RN, WHNP-BC, RDMS OB/GYN, C-EFM. "That's a meaningful clinical improvement, and it speaks to how important immediate skin-to-skin contact is for breastfeeding success."

At Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., "Joeybands played a crucial role in our research on the impact of skin-to-skin care for babies with congenital heart disease. Our findings revealed that even low-dose skin-to-skin care significantly reduced maternal anxiety and positively influenced heart rate variability (a key stress marker) for mothers and babies," said Dr. Sarah Schlatterer, Medical Director Neurocardiac Critical Care.

Cost Savings for Hospitals & Families

Hospital data shows earlier hospital discharge—1.1 to 2.4 days sooner—for babies held skin-to-skin. This can save families $3,500 to $13,000 per day. Moreover, Joeyband helps address high-cost complications, estimated costs include:

• US$167B/year: Inadequate breastfeeding
• US$14B/year: Postpartum anxiety and depression
• US$14.7B/year: Hypothermia
• US$631B/year: Opioid-related health crises

Clinical Design, Real-World Impact

"As new data emerges, we're witnessing the scope of Joeyband's impact in changing the standard of SSC," said Sarah-Almaza Cox, Co-Founder of Joeyband. "These outcomes prove what equitable, evidence-based care can achieve—especially for underserved communities."

About Joeyband®
Joeyband® is a globally patented, FDA-registered, award-winning skin-to-skin support device designed to improve postpartum and neonatal outcomes. A 2017 AWHONN "Trusted Leader", Joeyband is endorsed by La Leche League International. Learn more at www.joeyband.com.

SOURCE Joeyband

Media Contact: Adrienne Harry, Aldeen Consulting, [email protected] | 905-464-4167