VELA Neonatal Chair

Item no. 87214

The VELA Neonatal Chair is an armchair designed to support neonatal departments in alignment with WHO’s latest research-based recommendations on Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for premature newborns, while enhancing the work environment for healthcare professionals.

Supports skin-to-skin contact: Promotes bonding and stabilizes newborns during WHO-recommended Kangaroo Care.
Optimal breastfeeding position: Easily adjusts for stress-free breastfeeding or milk pumping.
Ergonomic for staff: Reduces strain and supports workflow with adjustable settings.

Sit-to-stand assistance: Helps parents safely sit or stand, even post-cesarean.
Space-saving design: Compact with electric functions for flexibility and ease of use.

References
Measurements
Fabric & Colours
User Manual

Measurements

Headrest

52 x 35 cm
(20.5 x 13.8 in)

Backrest (W x H)

52 x 52 cm
(20.5 x 20.5 in)

Seat (W x D)

52 x 48 cm
(20.5 x 18.9 in)

Footrest

44 x 33 cm
(17.3 x 13 in)

Armrest pad (W x L)

12 x 63 cm
(4.7 x 24.8 in)

Seat height

44-84 cm
(17.3-33.1 in)

Max weight load

140 kg (305 lbs)

Illusion

Illusion

Illusion meets all cleaning requirements in the healthcare sector and is also Oecotex certified. Illusion can be cleaned with concentrations up to 75% ethanol and withstand chlorine disinfection (disinfection containing active chlorine up to 5000 ppm). Illusion has a nice surface that is not slippery to sit on.

Illusion is a textile created by Nevotex.

Standard colours

Note: Colour reproduction varies depending on the monitor and graphics card – we therefore encourage you to view a physical colour card before purchasing.

68746 – Blue

00110 – Black

46508 – Mink grey

57069 – Light grey

57841 – Grey

Specifications

Textile:

100% Polyurethane

Backing

100% cotton

Flame retardant:

BS 5852 Crib 5 with treatment,
EN 1021-1 / 2 when flameprotected,
IMO A 652: 2010 Source 1 & 2

Durability

> 500,000 Martindale,
ISO5470-2

UV resistance and brightness

Note> 6,
ISO 105-B02

Pilling

Note 5,
EN ISO 12945

The upholstery has been tested with regard to cold cracking down to -40 ° F, corresponding to -40 ° C, ISO 1876-1: 1998-01.

The padding is Oekotex labeled and surface resistant to blood and urine (EN 12720).

The upholstery is BIOcompatible and approved according to ISO 10993-10: 2014. See all specifications here.

Cleaning

Clean the fabric with warm water and neutral detergent (use a soft cloth).

Disinfection is possible with many different cleaning agents, e.g. alcohol 75% ethanol, various wipes (read more here) and chlorine disinfection (disinfection containing active chlorine at 5000 ppm). After cleaning or disinfecting, rinse repeatedly with cool clean water and dry with a ragged, clean cloth.

When cleaning: Always test the detergent/disinfectant on a less visible area first.

NOTE:
Do not use solvent-based detergent (such as turpentine).

References

Reference: Betty Nørgaard, Quality Coordinator, Postdoc

Department: Neonatology, Kolding Sygehus Hospital

About: The Department of Neonatology is a specialised department where premature children and newborn children with illnesses are cared for and treated. Neonatology departments focus on the development of the children admitted and the wellbeing of the families in general.

Betty Nørgaard, Quality Coordinator, on the VELA Neonatal Chair:

This hospital chair for patients allows parents to be more independent. Previously, they would need help placing a pillow under one arm. Then they would need help reaching the mother’s milk. When sitting in the VELA chair, parents can adjust the position themselves if they need to. Maybe they want to lean back a little further or put their legs up. It means a lot to the parents to be able to do the small things themselves while sitting with their child.

The work environment is improved for our staff, as the chair can easily be raised and lowered using a remote control. This means that the staff no longer have to work hunched over or stand in uncomfortable positions when showing or helping parents feed their baby, which was often the case with our previous recliners.

The chair looks homely and as the parents are often at the hospital for a long time, it means a lot to them if the environment feels more like home.

The chair is comfortable, so the parents can sit with their child for long periods of time without experiencing discomfort.

Reference: Mother of a preemie

Department: Mother and Child Center, Reinier de Graaf Hospital, Netherlands

About: The Mother and Child Center offer family-oriented care.

Mother of a preemie, Mother and Child Center, Reinier de Graaf Hospital, Netherlands

The VELA Neonatal Chair is comfortable and easy to use. I cuddled with my daughter for hours. While I was with my daughter, the doctor checked her. That went well. I liked that I could stay in the chair. Because the height of the VELA is adjustable, the doctor could do her job. My daughter and I enjoyed Kangaroo Care in the neonatal chair.

Reference: Jana Wald IBCLC, Pediatric Nurse, Developmental Neonatal Supporter EFNB

Department: Neonatology Perinatal Center Level 1 Vivantes Hospital in Friedrichshain Berlin

Jana Wald IBCLC, Pediatric Nurse, Developmental Neonatal Supporter EFNB

The easy operation and convenient features, such as height adjustment and adjustable armrests, allow families to kangaroo care even with very small premature infants and sick newborns right from the beginning. The work of the nursing staff is significantly eased.

User Manual

VELA Neonatal Chair

Download

Video demonstration of the VELA Neonatal Chair

In this demonstration, we guide you through the features of the VELA Neonatal Chair, built to support Kangaroo Mother Care in neonatal and maternity units.

See how the chair’s adjustable height, removable armrests, and sit-to-stand assistance facilitate prolonged skin-to-skin contact to promote infant stability and bonding between mother and child. The video shows how these features provide both comfort for parents and ergonomic support for healthcare staff, creating an ideal environment for safe and effective KMC, even during medical procedures.

Benefits of Skin-to-Skin Contact

The World Health Organization and various studies recommend skin-to-skin contact for prematurely born infants with their parents, as it’s proven valuable for the child’s development and healing [1,2,7]. New WHO guidelines (2022) recommend initiating KMC as soon as possible after birth, emphasizing the importance of close and continuous contact between the parent and child [8]. This contact helps stabilize the infant’s temperature, heart rate, and breathing, promotes weight gain, and encourages healthy sleep patterns. It also supports the bonding process between parent and child. Additionally, it reduces parental stress [1,2,7].

Research also indicates challenges associated with skin-to-skin contact in maternity and neonatal units: parents’ concerns about holding their children, lack of attention from staff, and limited resources and space [3,4,5] suggesting inadequate facilities and limited comfort and adjustment options in a hospital setting. The VELA Neonatal Chair offers a solution, providing parents with the support needed to engage in uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact, even for extended periods.

Better Working Conditions in Maternity and Neonatal Units

A 2023 study showed that a chair specifically designed for maternity and neonatal departments improves working conditions compared to a hospital bed [6]. It reduces the workload for staff, as parents can independently sit and reposition themselves with the child during sessions. The VELA Neonatal Chair offers a practical alternative to standard hospital beds, where staff often need to bend and stretch to reach the mother or infant. Its ergonomic design, removable armrests and adjustable height allow for closer and safer access, making tasks like taking blood samples easier. Altogether, these features support uninterrupted kangaroo care.

Turn and rotate the chair to explore it from all angles

A Chair Designed for Kangaroo Mother Care

The VELA Neonatal Chair supports the kangaroo method, offering a space-efficient alternative to the typical hospital bed while providing comfort and ergonomic adjustments that help parents and infants during long sessions of KMC. Adjustable armrests, back and seat angling, and leg support relieve parents during extended skin-to-skin contact sessions. The chair also offers better support than a traditional hospital bed in physically demanding situations like breastfeeding or when the child needs to be bottle-fed or tube-fed. A 2023 study revealed that parents experienced significantly greater comfort using an armchair for skin-to-skin contact compared to those using a hospital bed [6].

Developed for Healthcare Needs

Developed in collaboration with Sygehus Lillebælt and the University of Southern Denmark, the VELA Neonatal Chair creates optimal conditions for staff in maternity and neonatal units, as well as for parents and newborns. The chair’s design promotes a homely and comfortable atmosphere, supporting parents in actively participating in the care of their infant in line with WHO’s recommendation that parents be involved in intervention decisions [8].

Sources

1 Kostandy, R.R., and S.M. Ludington-Hoe. 2019. “The Evolution of the Science of Kangaroo (Mother) Care (Skin-to-Skin Contact).” Birth Defects Research 111 (15): 1032–1043. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.1565

2 Ionio, C., G. Ciuffo, and M. Landoni. 2021. “Parent-Infant Skin-to-Skin Contact and Stress Regulation: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18 (9): 4695. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094695

3 Jesney, S. 2016. “A Critical Analysis of the Role of the Nurse in the Implementation of Skin-to-Skin on the Neonatal Unit.” Journal of Neonatal Nursing 22 (2): 68–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2015.04.008

4 Seidman, Gabriel, Shalini Unnikrishnan, Emma Kenny, Scott Myslinski, Sarah Cairns-Smith, Brian Mulligan, and Cyril Engmann. 2015. “Barriers and Enablers of Kangaroo Mother Care Practice: A Systematic Review.” PLoS One 10 (5): e0125643. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125643

5 Blomqvist, Y.T., L. Frolund, C. Rubertsson, and K.H. Nyqvist. 2013. “Provision of Kangaroo Mother Care: supportive Factors and Barriers Perceived by Parents.” Scandinavian journal of Caring Sciences 27 (2): 345–353. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.01040.x

6 Betty Noergaard, Marianne Ravn & Poul-Erik Kofoed. 2023. “Parents’ comfort and staffs’ working-environment when infants are sitting skin-to-skin: a randomised controlled trial comparing a recliner and a hospital bed.” Ergonomics vol. 66,12: 1909-1918. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2023.2168768

7 WHO. 2023. “Immediate kangaroo mother care reduces risk of sepsis for babies born early or small.” June 5.  https://www.who.int/news/item/05-06-2023-immediate-kangaroo-mother-care-reduces-risk-of-sepsis-for-babies-born-early-or-small

8 WHO. 2022. “WHO recommendations for care of the preterm or low-birth-weight infant.” November 15. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/363697/9789240058262-eng.pdf?sequence=1

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Contact VELA Medical

Call us on +45 96 34 76 00 if you have questions or send us a message using the contact form below.

Contact details

VELA Medical

Gøteborgvej 8-12

9200 Aalborg SV

Denmark

Phone hours

Monday – Thursday

08:00 – 16:00

Friday

08:00 – 15:00

Saturday – Sunday

Closed

Request a quote

VELA Neonatal Chair

The VELA Neonatal Chair is an armchair designed to support neonatal departments in alignment with WHO’s latest research-based recommendations on Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for premature newborns, while enhancing the work environment for healthcare professionals.

Measurements

Illusion

Standard colours

Specifications

Cleaning

References

Betty Nørgaard, Quality Coordinator, on the VELA Neonatal Chair:

Mother of a preemie, Mother and Child Center, Reinier de Graaf Hospital, Netherlands

Jana Wald IBCLC, Pediatric Nurse, Developmental Neonatal Supporter EFNB

User Manual

Video demonstration of the VELA Neonatal Chair

Benefits of Skin-to-Skin Contact

Better Working Conditions in Maternity and Neonatal Units

Turn and rotate the chair to explore it from all angles

A Chair Designed for Kangaroo Mother Care

Developed for Healthcare Needs

Sources

Other chairs for obstetrics

VELA Latin 100

VELA Samba 520

VELA Samba 420

VELA Samba 500

Do you need further information?

Contact VELA Medical

Contact details

Phone hours