NEW YORK, JUNE 6, 2006 – They're afraid, worried, and confused. Their new baby was born sick or prematurely, and is hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These are families who need help and information about what to expect in a NICU and what their baby might be experiencing.
For the last five years, thousands of parents have been able to turn to the March of Dimes NICU Family Support® program for expert knowledge and comfort during that frightening time while their baby was in the NICU.
Soon the program will be available nationwide.
The March of Dimes announced today at a luncheon for reporters that by the end of 2007, there will be at least one NICU Family Support® site in every state in the nation and in Puerto Rico. Currently, the program is operational in 30 hospitals in 26 states and the District of Columbia, with 9 more sites expected to open this year.
“We recognize how overwhelming the NICU experience can be for families,” says Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. “NICU Family Support® was created by the March of Dimes with the help of NICU families who know what other families need.”
Dr. Howse says the program can be customized to meet the specific needs of the NICU staff and parents, and includes specific components to address the needs of siblings and extended family members. It also seeks to prepare parents for the transition home and allows parents to connect with each other through an online community called “Share Your Story,” shareyourstory.org.
March of Dimes NICU Family Support® continuously evolves to incorporate new ideas from parents, says Dr. Howse. The latest addition is a Bedside Reading Program that will provide easy access to books so parents can read to their newborn in the NICU. Each family also will receive a gift of a book to take home.
Scholastic, Inc., has agreed to become a national sponsor of March of Dimes NICU Family Support® and to provide more than 140,000 books to the program over the next three years.
“We're grateful to Scholastic for supporting this innovative new component of the program that allows family members to become actively involved in the enhancement of their baby's well-being, and starts families out on a lifelong love of reading,” Dr. Howse says.
Speakers at today's March of Dimes National Communications Advisory Council luncheon for reporters were Andrew Barden, M.D., director of Neonatology at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Laura Lee Miller, March of Dimes NICU Family Support® Specialist at Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri; and Brian McKinsey of Saratoga Springs, New York, the father of two premature babies.
Gretchen Carlson, news anchor for FOX News Channel and a national celebrity volunteer for the March of Dimes, served as the moderator of the event.
March of Dimes NICU Family Support® also offers continuing education for NICU professional staff on topics related to caring for the critically ill newborn and family-centered care.
For families who live in an area where a NICU Family Support® program is not yet available, more information can be found online at marchofdimes.com/nicu.
