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My hope is that there will be some resources here for families with special needs. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I have included resources that point to other resources. The posts here are simply reporting some of the things we have tried to make our daughter's experience more comfortable and productive. Please add any experience you have to help us and others help our children.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Kangaroo Joey vs. Zevex Infinity

We have switch feeding pumps from the Zevex Infinity to the Kangaroo Joey. Like anything there are pros and cons to either system. But so far, I prefer the screen and interface of the Joey over the Infinity. Without having to change screens, you can view where you are in a feeding. It doesn't seem to be as finicky once it is loaded and running. The Zevex can alarm often if the bag's set is not loaded perfectly or if one sensor is not happy about its readings. The alarming can be frustrating and hard to diagnose. However, actually loading the Joey has proven to be a bit troublesome. There is a back flow prevention valve in the tubing that has to be set in all the way for it to operate properly. Sometimes you have to push it in quite forcibly to make sure it is seated. The good thing is you know immediately if it is not seated correctly because the door on the pump will not stay closed if it is wrong. I also like how the feed bag is similar to an IV bag and more accurately shows the amount of formula inside. The Zevex feed bags, at least the 500 ml bags, were not accurate in their markings. The Joey also has a faster priming function.

The Zevex does have the advantage in portability and positioning. The Joey requires six inches of fall between the bag and the pump, where as the Infinity can be position any where as long as all the air is out of the bag. The Infinity pump is flatter than the Joey and fits well in most places. The Joey is more cube-like. With Macayla being less mobile these days, we do not have to have these benefits of the Infinity, but for active children, the Infinity is great. The Infinity's door has problems with the latch breaking, but I heard the company is trying some other types of plastics to fix this.

The Joey is new to us and we are waiting on a backpack for it and after we have had more time to learn it, I will post more if needed on troubleshooting.

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