New Style Newborn

Quick Answer: The New Style Newborn is a baby manikin in the form of a newborn infant, used as a newborn care model in nursing, midwifery and antenatal classes. Learners practise holding, bathing, dressing, swaddling, nappy changes and umbilical cord care on it before they handle real babies.

Practising Everyday Newborn Care

Handling a newborn safely is a skill that improves with repetition, and practising on a manikin removes the worry of hurting a real baby. With the New Style Newborn, students learn to slide one hand under the head and neck and the other under the bottom before lifting, because a newborn cannot yet hold its own head up. The same model is used for the cradle, shoulder and football holds taught for feeding and burping, and for placing the baby on its back in a cot, the sleeping position recommended to lower the risk of sudden infant death.

Hygiene routines follow naturally. A bath demonstration covers testing the water with the elbow or a thermometer, keeping the head above the water line, and washing from the cleanest areas towards the nappy area. Cord care is taught on the stump at the navel: keeping it clean and dry, folding the nappy below it, and recognising redness, swelling, discharge or a bad smell as reasons to seek advice. Dressing, swaddling with room for the hips to bend, and changing nappies complete the routine.

‘New Style’ is the range name used in the listing, and it does not say which features changed from earlier designs. Details such as the body material, whether the limbs are jointed, whether the model can go into water and whether it shows a particular sex are not stated, so ask about them before planning a bathing session. For airway skills, a separate newborn intubation model is listed in the same range.

Specifications

Where the New Style Newborn Is Used

• Nursing and midwifery skills labs, for newborn care routines before postnatal ward placements
• Antenatal and parent-craft classes run by health workers for expectant parents
• Childcare and early-years courses that teach safe lifting, feeding positions and nappy changes
• Community health worker training on cord care and recognising danger signs in the first weeks

Caring for the Newborn Model

• Wipe the New Style Newborn with a soft cloth and mild soap after each class, then dry the creases at the neck, elbows and knees where moisture collects.
• Put the model in water only if the maker’s instructions allow it; some manikins trap water inside the body or joints.
• Dress it in clean baby clothes rather than sticking tape or marker labels on the surface, which can stain soft vinyl.
• Store it lying down in a box away from sunlight so the face and limbs keep their shape and colour.

Why Choose LabEquip

Nursing colleges, midwifery schools and hospital training units often buy several newborn manikins so a whole group can practise at once. LabEquip lists the New Style Newborn with its other biology lab products, and the LabEquip contact page is the place to ask about materials, joint movement and quantities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What skills can students practise on a newborn care model?

The usual list is safe lifting and holding, feeding and burping positions, bathing, dressing, swaddling, nappy changing and umbilical cord care. Tutors also use the model to demonstrate placing a baby on its back to sleep and to show parents how to support the head.

How should a newborn be lifted?

Slide one hand under the head and neck and the other under the bottom, then lift the baby close to your body. Newborns cannot control their heads yet, so the head is supported in every hold until neck strength develops over the first months.

What does umbilical cord care teaching cover?

Keeping the stump clean and dry, folding the nappy below it so urine does not soak it, and letting it fall off on its own, which usually happens within the first two weeks. Redness spreading onto the belly, pus or a foul smell should be reported.

Can the model be used for bathing practice?

Bathing can always be demonstrated with an empty tub, but full immersion depends on how the model is built. Some newborn manikins are sealed and washable, while others hold water inside, so check this point before planning a wet session.

How is it different from the newborn intubation model?

The New Style Newborn is meant for everyday care and handling. The intubation model is built around an airway so that learners can pass a laryngoscope and tube, which is a separate emergency skill taught in resuscitation courses.

How should swaddling be done safely?

Wrap the arms snugly but leave the blanket loose around the hips so the legs can bend up and out, and keep the wrap below the shoulders and clear of the face. Swaddled babies are always laid on their backs, and swaddling stops once a baby starts trying to roll.

Last Updated: September 2026