Each year, approximately 1 in 10 newborns is admitted to a Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the United States. Whether admitted for prematurity or another condition, the hospitalization of a baby in a NICU can be a frightening, confusing and overwhelming experience for parents.
In its ongoing efforts to improve the health of babies, March of Dimes NICU Family Support® was launched nationwide in 2001 to provide information and comfort to families during the NICU hospitalization, transition home, and in the event of a newborn's death. NICU Family Support also aims to contribute to NICU staff professional development and promote a philosophy of family-centered care in NICUs.
The California Chapter’s NICU Family Support Project was officially launched at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach in May 2007. The program features a bilingual NICU Family Support Specialist stationed in the NICU to provide information and support to families during the NICU hospitalization, the transition home, and in the event of a newborn's death. The program is guided by a volunteer committee of parents and hospital staff who develop and implement educational and support modules, organize parent events and activities and provide parent-to-parent support at the bedside. The project reached almost 500 parents in 2007 through educational sessions, scrapbooking activities and distribution of parent care kits.
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