Having a premature baby can be scary. Your new little one seems so tiny and helpless – all you want to do is make sure he or she is happy and healthy. It can be especially difficult for parents of babies born very early, as the parents aren’t usually able to take an active role in caring for their new bundle of joy. That could soon change.
The Wall Street Journal found several hospitals trying a new approach to “preemie” care. Rather than keeping parents from interacting with a child born weighing around one pound, hospitals in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are inviting moms and dads to care for their babies for about eight hours each day.
Preliminary results revealed these babies tended to gain more weight and were released from the hospitals faster than babies whose parents weren’t directly involved in their care.
Closer to home
Here in Greater Cincinnati, St. Elizabeth Healthcare takes a similar approach when caring for premature babies. Parents whose babies are in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, are encouraged to stay with their child 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The staff helps parents learn to change diapers, give baths, provide food, and offer skin-to-skin care.
“Premature babies whose parents are active in their care in the NICU often have a shorter length of stay,” said Tracy Burch, NICU nurse manager. “Our NICU encourages parents to be present and participate in our daily rounds.”
Burch says that the parents can even notice subtle changes in their baby’s condition before the physicians and nurses because the parents spend so much time with the child.
“The baby is cared for by multiple nurses, physicians, and healthcare team members,” she said. “But the baby only has one set of parents.”
