Even though my daughter Lily no longer has her feeding tube, I would be remiss if I did not tell you all about one of the greatest products ever. It’s called Hypafix, and it’s an adhesive tape used to hold dressings in place. However we used it to hold Lily’s tube in.
When we first learned that Lily would need a feeding tube, adhesive tape was the least of our worries. However, once we got her home, it slowly crept to the top of our list, because that tape is pretty much the only thing keeping you from another trip to the emergency room to have the tube put back in.
At first we tried using a basic paper tape, because on the box, it said it was easy to remove. It definitely came off easily, but the problem was it really didn’t stay on. Next, we tried regular band-aids, and those actually did a good job sticking to her skin. The only problem was they worked too well. I guess band-aids are meant to be replaced everyday, because when you leave one on for about a week, that adhesive turns into super glue.
That’s another problem with tape. Once you have it on there, you want to leave it alone for as long as possible, because changing it is such an ordeal. You basically have to wait until the baby is asleep and then carefully remove it so she doesn’t wake up. If she does wake up, you have to restrain her, and I’m sure you can imagine how much fun it is for all parties involved to try to snake a tube down a squirming baby’s throat. However, you also cannot leave the tape on too long either, because it gets dirty, and that can lead to a rash or sores.
Hypafix was the perfect solution for us. It went on easily and stayed on, but it could also be removed easily with the help of saliva. Hypafix is also breathable; so as long as it stays clean, it doesn’t harm the skin.
The drawback is that you can’t buy it in stores. In fact, when we were discharged from the hospital, we only had a little scrap left and the brand name was illegible. I drove from drug store to drug store with my little scrap trying to match it up with other brands, but we couldn’t find a match. Ultimately, we ended up calling the NICU and asked a nurse what kind of tape they used. She immediately knew what I was talking about and said that Hypafix was, indeed, the best tape on the market. She informed us that it was only available from medical suppliers online. Knowing it would take at least a few days before we would be able to get it, she actually offered to give us some if we wanted to come by the NICU and pick it up. We took her up on her offer and never looked back.
If you or your child is ever in need of adhesive bandage tape, Hypafix should be your first and only option.
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