As both a NICU mom and nurse, I've seen firsthand why healthcare’s smallest and most vulnerable patients need solutions built just for them
By Nancy Wilson, MBA, BSN, RN, VA-BC, Senior Manager, Medical Affairs, BD – Medication Delivery Solutions
The NICU was personal, then it became my purpose
More than 30 years ago, my naturally occurring triplets were born 11 weeks early, and suddenly, the NICU became part of our lives. What began as one of the most challenging experiences my family would ever face ultimately changed the course of my career.
Inspired by the clinicians who cared for my children, I left a career in banking to pursue nursing. I later spent 10 years as a bedside NICU nurse at the same children's hospital where my babies received care, followed by another decade on a pediatric and neonatal vascular access team supporting patients with complex needs.
That journey has given me a unique perspective. I’ve experienced the NICU as both a parent and clinician. I know what it feels like to sit beside an incubator, waiting, worrying and hoping. I also know that caring for these patients means supporting families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
That's why NICU Awareness Month is so important to me. It's an opportunity to recognize healthcare's smallest patients, celebrate the clinicians who care for them and acknowledge the families whose lives are forever changed by the experience. It's also a reminder that these patients have unique needs and deserve innovations designed specifically for them.
Neonates are not tiny adults
One lesson has stayed with me throughout my career: neonates are not simply smaller versions of adult patients.
Their vessels are tiny. Their skin is fragile. Their organs may still be developing, and they can struggle to regulate body temperature. Even routine procedures require specialized expertise and technologies designed for their unique needs.
Vascular access is foundational to care in the NICU. The majority of infants admitted to the NICU require vascular access for intravenous therapy.1 Yet neonatal and pediatric care has historically had fewer purpose-built solutions for these highly specialized environments.
Clinicians need more than adult technologies in smaller sizes. They need solutions, education and support designed around the realities of caring for these patients.
Every procedure is significant. When solutions aren’t designed for a patient's size, fragility and stage of development, an already complex care environment becomes even more challenging.
Expanding innovation for the smallest patients: Welcoming Footprint Medical to BD
The need for innovation remains significant. In 2024, approximately 1 in 10 babies in the United States was born preterm, and nearly 1 in 10 infants was admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit in 2023.2,3 Behind those numbers are families navigating uncertainty and clinicians working every day to provide highly specialized care.
That’s why BD’s integration of Footprint Medical is so meaningful. The expanded portfolio includes neonatal PICCs designed for extremely small vessels, umbilical catheters and other procedure-focused solutions that help clinicians deliver patient-centered care in complex environments.
Meaningful innovation is about more than technology alone. What excites me most is the opportunity to bring together specialized solutions, clinical expertise and education across the vascular access journey. Through clinical education, evidence generation, collaboration with healthcare professionals and the support of more than 100 full-time clinical nurse educators, BD helps clinicians put innovation into practice with confidence.
A footprint that lasts a lifetime
My perspective will always be both professional and personal. Every advancement has the potential to make a difference in the care experience for clinicians, patients and families.
That's why I'm encouraged by the progress happening across neonatal care and by BD's expanded commitment in this space. Now we can proudly say we support vascular care from the smallest patients in the NICU through life’s many stages. To me, that’s the true value of innovation: helping clinicians deliver the right care for each patient, wherever they are in their healthcare journey.
As neonatal, pediatric and vascular access professionals come together to share best practices, research and new innovations, we have an opportunity to keep listening, learning and designing with these patients in mind.
Because when we help clinicians deliver the best possible care from the very beginning of life, the impact can last a lifetime.
Learn more about Footprint products here.
References
1. D'Andrea V, Prontera G, Pezza L, et al. Rapid superficial vein assessment (RaSuVA): a pre-procedural systematic evaluation of superficial veins to optimize venous catheterization in neonates. J Vasc Access. 2024;25(1):303-307. doi:10.1177/11297298221098481. Background section, p. 303, col. 1.
2. March of Dimes. United States Prematurity Profile. 2024. https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/reports/united-states/prematurity-profile
3. CDC National Center for Health Statistics. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Admissions and Levels of Care for Infants Born in 2023. 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db525.htm