Choosing Paediatric Hospital Beds - Vivid Care

Author: Evelyn y

Aug. 25, 2025

Choosing Paediatric Hospital Beds - Vivid Care

Children in care need specific types of beds as well as seating, to help them get quality sleep and assist their recovery if they are in intensive care.

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Our work with children’s hospitals such as GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital) has brought us into the realm of paediatric care, and we would like to share our experience in finding suitable beds for children and adolescents.

Types of Paediatric Beds

A paediatric bed is specially designed for the care of children and adolescents in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and clinics. Under this broad heading, there are some key distinctions we would like to point out to clarify the different types available.

Standard Paediatric Bed

Standard paediatric beds cover the main requirements for a childcare bed, with strong safety features such as height adjustment and side rails, adjustable head & footboard sections, and child-friendly colours and designs.

The height adjustment helps carers access the child at the right height, and assists with transferring them on and off the bed.

Colourful and themed designs, like Captain Marvel or Disney, make the child feel at home and reduce overall stress levels. Or how about inbuilt sound systems and screens? Specialist children’s hospitals like GOSH theme the child’s room and give them digital access to their favourite movies and games, to give them the best care experience possible.

Crib-Style Paediatric Bed

These are designed to ensure maximum patient safety with higher sides, creating a more enclosed, ‘crib’ style environment. For young infants and toddlers this creates a calmer, more reassuring environment. The mattress is normally height-adjustable to enable carer-to-patient access, and they often have mesh sides so the child can interact with people around them as well as feeling safe.

Paediatric Intensive Care Unit Bed (PICU)

The clue being in the name, these are built specifically for use in hospital intensive care units (ICUs). The Paediatric ICU area in a hospital provides close monitoring and 24hr care for critically ill children and adolescents.

Advanced features on these beds include vital signs monitoring equipment, weigh scales, IV pole and pump holders, and they are designed to accommodate medical procedures like CPR.

Transportable Paediatric Bed

Smaller and lightweight, these are designed for easy movement between hospital wards or healthcare facilities. This is particularly useful if the child is moved around the hospital for different procedures e.g. tests or infusion therapy.

Side rails and harnesses are important features to protect the child during transit. These beds are made from durable materials that are robust and easy to clean.

Examples of Different Paediatric Beds

The following list is a randomised selection of paediatric beds available on the UK market. They are diverse enough to illustrate the different types of beds covered above, and show the pros and cons of each.

As standard, all beds meet the medical bed standards for children (BN EN ), covered in more detail in this article.

Lisclare Junior Bed (Standard Paediatric)

Pros Cons
  • Wider range of padded accessories
  • Limited range of features
  • Easy click-in side rails
  • Lacks specialisation for specific medical conditions
  • Versatile, can accommodate a wide range of patients in community care settings

CubCare Paediatric Bed (PICU)

Pros Cons
  • It is fully BS EN : compliant.
  • Heavy
  • Highly adjustable, and dynamic lengthening feature allows it to grow with the child
  • Transparent and adjustable Perspex sides for increased child interaction, visibility and monitoring
  • Integrates advanced functional and technological features such as weigh scales and a touch screen display
  • Customisable positioning for pressure relief, body alignment and child activities

Kinderkey Junior Care Bed (Transportable Paediatric)

Pros Cons
  • Small wheeled bed, easy to move between locations
  • Lacks advanced features like anti-trendelenburg and length adjustment
  • Compact design, good for small spaces
  • Easy clean platform

Accora JuniorBed (Standard Paediatric)

Pros Cons
  • Goes down to floor level
  • No side rails as standard
  • Padded head and footboard bumpers
  • Mobile
  • Smooth, minimalist styling — no sharp edges or parts

Linet Tom 2 (Crib-Style Paediatric)

Pros Cons
  • Enclosed sides prevent falls
  • Doesn’t grow with the child
  • Cheerful modern design
  • Comfortable mattress and bedding, creating a cosy and reassuring environment
  • Telescopic sides and height adjustment enable easy patient access
  • Electronic locking key for extra security

What Type of Paediatric Bed Do I Need?

The Linet Tom 2 is ideal for small infants as it is enclosed, with extra safety features, making it a good option for PICU environments.

Small infants 0-5 years are generally well catered for, but there is a lack of suitably sized beds in the 5-15 year bracket. This is where the CubCare fits perfectly, with dynamic length adjustment to suit children within this age range, with average heights of 100-170cm.

Conclusion

Standard paediatric beds are versatile, but may lack specialised features that are crucial for care of children with specific medical conditions in intensive care environments.

As standard, all beds should comply with the medical bed standards for children, BS EN , to ensure patient safety.

When purchasing paediatric beds, close attention should be paid to the adjustability of the bed so it can be used for a wider age range, such as the CubCare bed, which adjusts from 160 to 200cm long.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Pediatric Hospital Bed.

For more advice or to arrange a demonstration of our CubCare bed, please contact our Acute Sales Team.

The Importance of Pediatric Beds in Children's Hospitals: Ensuring ...

Introduction

Pediatric beds play a crucial role in ensuring children receive the highest quality care when admitted to the hospital. These specialized beds are designed to meet the unique needs of pediatric patients and help create an environment that supports healing. In this post, we will explore why pediatric beds are so important for children’s hospitals and discuss some of the key features that set them apart from adult beds.

Understanding Pediatric Beds

Pediatric beds are specialized hospital beds designed specifically for children. Unlike standard adult beds, pediatric beds are tailored to meet the unique needs of young patients, offering features such as adjustable height, safety rails, and pediatric-specific mattresses. These beds provide a safe and comfortable environment for children undergoing medical treatment, ensuring their comfort and well-being during their hospital stay.

Types of Pediatric Beds

Pediatric beds are specialized medical equipment designed to meet the unique needs of children receiving medical care in hospitals and healthcare facilities. These beds come in various types, each serving specific purposes and catering to different age groups and medical conditions. In this blog post, we’ll explore the different types of pediatric beds commonly used in healthcare settings.

Standard Pediatric Beds: Standard pediatric beds are designed for general use and are suitable for children of all ages. These beds typically feature adjustable height settings, safety rails, and pediatric-specific mattresses to provide optimal comfort and support for young patients. Standard pediatric beds are versatile and can accommodate a wide range of medical conditions and treatment needs.

Crib Beds: Crib beds, also known as pediatric cribs or infant beds, are specifically designed for infants and newborns. These beds feature high sides or railings to prevent babies from rolling off the bed and ensure their safety while sleeping. Crib beds often come with adjustable height settings to facilitate easy access for caregivers and medical staff.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Beds: PICU beds are specialized pediatric beds designed for use in intensive care units (ICUs) catering to critically ill or injured children. These beds are equipped with advanced features such as cardiac monitoring systems, ventilator support, and integrated weighing scales to provide comprehensive care for pediatric patients with complex medical needs.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Beds: NICU beds are specially designed for premature infants and newborns requiring intensive medical care in neonatal intensive care units. These beds are equipped with features such as temperature regulation, humidity control, and built-in phototherapy lights to create a controlled environment conducive to the health and development of premature babies.

Bariatric Pediatric Beds: Bariatric pediatric beds are designed to accommodate larger and heavier pediatric patients who may exceed the weight capacity of standard pediatric beds. These beds feature reinforced frames, wider mattresses, and higher weight capacities to ensure the safety and comfort of bariatric pediatric patients during their hospital stay.

Transport Pediatric Beds: Transport pediatric beds, also known as pediatric stretchers or transport cots, are designed for safe and comfortable transportation of pediatric patients within hospitals or between healthcare facilities. These beds are lightweight, maneuverable, and equipped with features such as locking wheels, adjustable backrests, and side rails to ensure the stability and safety of pediatric patients during transit.

What Makes a Pediatric Bed Special?

One of the main differences between pediatric and adult beds is size. Pediatric beds are smaller to accommodate younger patients safely and comfortably. The mattresses are also designed with special padding and support to prevent pressure injuries in growing bodies. Some key attributes of pediatric beds include:

As this table outlines, pediatric beds offer size adjustments, specialized mattress support, and built-in safety features tailored specifically for pediatric patients. These differences help children heal in a developmentally-appropriate environment.

Pediatric Beds Promote Healing and Development

Beyond the physical design elements, pediatric beds play a key role in the overall healing environment of children’s hospitals. Some ways they promote optimal care and development include:

  • Allowing caregivers easy access on all sides for examinations, treatments, and comforting a distressed child.
  • Creating a sense of security through developmentally-appropriate features like adjustable railings and over-the-bed tables stocked with toys and books within reach.
  • Preventing injuries from falls, rolls, or other accidents that could disrupt a child’s recovery through integrated safety features.
  • Supporting normal growth and development by accommodating a child’s natural positioning and movement needs through ergonomic mattress support and bed width.
  • Reducing stress and promoting rest by offering a comfortable surface tailored to a child’s size in a familiar, child-friendly setting. Stress has been shown to slow healing.

In all these ways, pediatric beds are designed with the unique physical and emotional needs of pediatric patients in mind. This focus on developmentally-appropriate care helps children heal optimally and resume normal childhood activities as quickly as possible.

Conclusion

In conclusion, pediatric beds are a crucial component of children’s hospitals that should not be overlooked. Their specialized design supports optimal healing, development and comfort for pediatric patients. As the number of children admitted annually to hospitals continues rising, it is more important than ever for children’s facilities to be adequately stocked with high-quality pediatric beds. This ensures every child receives the developmentally-appropriate care they need during hospitalization.

FAQs

Why can’t children use adult beds?
Adult beds do not provide the proper size, safety features, or support needed for growing bodies. The differences could lead to injuries, discomfort that disrupts healing, or developmental issues.

How long will a pediatric bed last?
Most pediatric beds are built to last through a child’s entire growth period, which means 7-10 years on average. Some parts like mattresses may need replacing more frequently.

Are pediatric beds more expensive?
While the features do make pediatric beds somewhat more costly than adult beds, the benefits to a child’s health, safety and development make the investment well worth it. Children’s hospitals also seek the most cost-effective options that still meet high quality and safety standards.

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