Simplified method for measuring volatile organic chemicals in newly manufactured neonatal incubators

Neonatal incubators are critical to the care for newborns in hospital settings, such as neonatal intensive care units (NICU). In 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that some neonatal incubators could potentially expose patients to various volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Exposure to elevated concentrations of VOCs may lead to adverse health responses. The goal of this study was to develop a simple, cost-effective method for evaluating VOCs from incubators without the need for specialized equipment and expertise. VOC monitoring badges were placed inside and outside of two new commercial incubators from different manufacturers and removed every 24 h over a 7-day test duration. For Incubator 1, formaldehyde levels were detected at each 24-hour interval, which slowly decreased throughout the test duration, and very low levels of other VOCs were detected with no consistent trends. For Incubator 2, low levels of formaldehyde were found on Day 1 only. This method can be used to screen for suspected release of VOCs from NICU incubators, and to determine if exposures would fall below health-based tolerable thresholds for VOCs. In 2025, FDA determined that new neonatal incubators currently supplied in the United States do not demonstrate concerning levels of airborne chemicals.