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Ten percent of all newborns in the United States require specialized care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) due to prematurity, birth defects, or other serious health problems. The hospitalization of a baby in a NICU can be one of the most frightening, confusing, and overwhelming experiences a parent will ever face. NICU Initiatives (NICU Family SupportŪ Signature Programs and NICU Family Support Centers) are hands-on examples of how the March of Dimes is working to change this situation nationwide and in Florida.
Thanks to support from the Florida Wal-Mart Foundation, the March of Dimes Florida Chapter will provide NICU Family Support programs in hospitals statewide during 2009. Programs range from NICU Family Support Centers, which allow families to access support services on-line, 24 hours per day, to NICU Family Support Signature services offered at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville. |
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The Florida March of Dimes NICU Family Support® program at Shands Hospital supports the almost 800 families each year whose babies are admitted to the NICU. Families receive emotional support and needed information in the NICU setting, during the transition home and in the event of an infant death. For more information about NICU Family Support, contact Lori Reeves at lreeves@marchofdimes.com.
2008 NICU Family Support Annual Report |
