Pediatric Nurse Invents Genius Onesie For Tube-Fed Infants

This pediatric nurse saw a need for something new, so she created it. 

Sometimes, the best inventions are the simplest. For pediatric nurse Cecilia Auth, RN, founder of Tubesies, from Baltimore, that theory proved true when she realized the NICU lacked baby outfits to accommodate feeding tubes. 

While working in a pediatric rehab facility during the course of her now 24-year career as a pediatric nurse, Auth struggled to access her pediatric patients' feeding tubes without exposing them to cold air or waking them up. 

"It didn't seem very therapeutic every time we had to access this abdominal medical device," she tells Nurse.org. "I always envisioned an easier way."

As nurses are wont to do, Auth decided to take that vision and do more than hope someone would come up with a solution—she decided to make it herself and created Tubesies, feeding-tube-friendly onesies for babies and toddlers. 

Time for Tubesies 

Auth describes Tubesies as adaptive, feeding tube–friendly onesies for infants and children who require tube feedings. They're baby onesies with a twist, and for families who have babies with feeding or G-tubes, they can make all the difference. 

"Tubesies was born from my years at the bedside, seeing how something as simple as clothing can make a big difference for families managing complex care," Auth explains. "Our goal is to bring comfort, dignity, and joy to little ones and their caregivers."

In hearing Auth's story, it's hard not to wonder: how on earth did something like a feeding-tube-friendly baby onesie for pediatric patients not already exist? It's certainly something that Auth wondered, but it didn't stop her from working to create one.

Although she laughs that she's certainly "not a seamstress," she immediately got to work transforming a traditional baby onesie into a piece of adaptive clothing that could provide feeding tube access.

 It took a few tries, but eventually, she had a working prototype that she named a "Tubesie," a play on a baby "onesie" that could allow healthcare workers access to a feeding tube without waking their patient up. 

A Dream in the Making

Auth tells Nurse.org that although she initially dreamed up the idea for Tubesies in 2013, it wasn't until 2016 that she designed the first Tubesies prototype.

"I just basically sat on the idea for three years, not knowing what to do, or if there was even a need for it," she explains. "But I kept coming back to it. My intuition just kept screaming at me to try it."

After designing her prototype, Auth began donating Tubesies samples to families at the hospitals, a move she says "solidified the need" for the product, both in homes and at hospitals. 

The nurse knew that she had stumbled upon a solution that could make a real difference to pediatric patients and their families when a mother with six children reached out to her to test her Tubesies prototype. At the time, Auth hadn't even formally named her product, but was searching for families to test it.

Riley, the youngest of six children, used a feeding tube at home, and her mother immediately shared what a difference the 'Tubesie' made in being able to care for Riley. Riley's mom shared how the Tubesie allowed her to access her toddler's feeding tube while she was a busy mom, running to soccer, or shopping, and being able to still access the tube without having to remove her onesie. 

"That was a game changer for me," Auth recalls. 

Tubesies Today

Today, Riley, the toddler who first tested Tubesies, is now 10 and "thriving." Auth still keeps in touch with her and sends her a birthday present every year. She's grateful for the family who first helped realize her vision for a better way to care for babies with feeding tubes, and Auth continues to hope for her design to become more mainstream. (She's currently hoping to find a buyer or partners, so if that's you, reach out to Auth on her website!) 

She explains that a Tubesie can be indicated for a variety of long-term and temporary conditions for babies and toddlers, such as:

• Prematurity
• Failure to thrive
• Cerebral palsy
• Feeding conditions
• Neuromuscular conditions

While Auth is aware of at least one other product similar to Tubesies on the market, she explains that hers is different because she designed it from a "medical mindset." 

"I guess that's how a product so simple can make such a difference and support families and children with medical needs," she notes. 

She points out that nurses have long been the innovators for many products used in the medical field without a second thought (the crash cart, for example, was developed by RN Anita Dorr). 

"There are so many practical concepts out there that have been life-changing in the medical field, that have all been thought of in some capacity by medical personnel," she notes.

It's the difference that nurse-designed innovation can make. Auth sees her baby onesie design as an example of how nurses—as the healthcare professionals delivering hands-on care—can lead in developing solutions for better patient care. The entrepreneur hopes to inspire her fellow nurses with a passion and a vision for a better way to take that next step to make it happen.

"I see Tubesies as part of a bigger message: that nurses can innovate and lead change," Auth says simply.

Learn more about Tubesies on Instagram at @tubesies or on TikTok @tubesies.

🤔Nurses, have you ever thought of an invention that would make your job easier or make your patients more comfortable? Share your thoughts in the comments below!