The March of Dimes has designed this program to assist families in coping with the birth of a child who needs neonatal intensive care by responding to the emotional and informational needs of families during the NICU hospitalization, during the transition home and in the event of newborn death.  It is the first time that the March of Dimes will offer a direct service since the defeat of Polio in 1955.  The March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program in Connecticut is provided in part through a grant by NewAlliance Foundation, a proud partner of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign.

“Prematurity is a common, serious and costly problem facing our nation and it affects 1 in 10 babies in Connecticut,” said Julie Fronckowiak, state director of the March of Dimes Connecticut Chapter.

NICU Family Support will provide information, educational materials and videos for parents of infants in the Newborn Intensive Care Nursery in an effort to further explain the neonatal nursery experience.  It gives the staff and families an opportunity to complement existing services at UConn by adding new emotional and informational supports. 

UConn is a nationally recognized leader in an infant-and-family centered approach to care that places special emphasis on the roles parents play in supporting their baby’s development.  Since 1975, UConn’s newborn intensive care nurseries have cared for more than 12,000 babies.  UConn also serves as a training center for the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP).

The March of Dimes has historically funded and supported some of the earliest technical and medical advances in neonatology.  The March of Dimes furthered its commitment to improving health care for mothers and infants through its involvement in advocating for the regionalization of prenatal care.  The expansion of NICU Family Support once again puts the March of Dimes in the forefront of an exciting trend in improving perinatal health: the establishment of family centered care in the NICU. 

The number of babies born prematurely has increased steadily increased over the last 2 decades (nearly 29%).  In 2003, 499,008 newborns, or 12.3 percent of all babies born in the U.S., were born too soon.  More than 4,000 were born in Connecticut (National Center for Health Statistics).

In an average week in Connecticut, 827 babies are born.  One hundred sixty-eight of those babies will be born preterm or low-birthweight and five will die before their first birthday.

“There’s no question that the experience of having a baby in the NICU can be overwhelming. That’s why we take many steps to help minimize the stress of this experience for parents and babies alike. The NICU Family Support designation is one more program we are pleased to offer families,” said UConn Health Center Hospital Director Steven Strongwater, M.D.

The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, John Dempsey Hospital, the UConn Medical Group and University Dentists. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at http://www.uchc.edu.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.  Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of preterm birth.  For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.

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