Each year, approximately 1 in 10 newborns is admitted to a Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the United States. Having a baby hospitalized in a NICU can be one of the most frightening, confusing and overwhelming experiences a parent can have. As part of its National Prematurity Campaign, NICU Family Support provides information and comfort to families for whom prematurity has become an unavoidable reality.

NICU Family Support aims to alleviate the emotional stress so common to a family whose baby is born early or with another medical condition that necessitates a NICU hospitalization.  Built upon a family-centered philosophy and including NICU families into every level of the project's development, NICU Family Support is implemented nationwide through March of Dimes state chapters.

Serving the mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents and extended family of newborns in the NICU, NICU Family Support addresses the needs of families throughout the hospitalization, during transition home, and in the event of a newborn death. It also includes a professional development component that provides NICU staff with support and educational opportunities to help them in working with the families on a daily basis.
At a national level, NICU Family Support provides information, resources and online communities through www.marchofdimes.com.

Project Components

NICU Family Support has multiple components that make it unique:

• A part-time March of Dimes NICU Family Support Specialist with professional NICU experience working with families and staff

• A volunteer parent-professional action committee guiding program selection, development and implementation

• A base of March of Dimes volunteers providing  parent to parent support to families within the NICU setting

• Sensitive and engaging educational materials that introduce parents to the staff, equipment, procedures, and conditions that they may encounter in the NICU

• Customized Programs developed to serve the needs of the specific NICUs and the populations they support.  Some of the customized programs include:
  Antepartum Support and Preparation
  Information and Support for Siblings and Extended Family
  Support for Spanish-Speaking Families
  Photo Keepsake Program
  Easing the Transition from NICU to Home
  Bereavement Support.

Between 2004 and 2007, the March of Dimes will establish NICU Family Support in 50 or more Level III NICUs, serving approximately 35,000 families across the United States. For more information about NICU Family Support or if you’d like to volunteer or make a donation, please contact your March of Dimes state chapter or visit us at www.marchofdimes.com.

Online Resources and Products

Online Resources
• March of Dimes NICU Families Web site:
access information on how to make the NICU experience more manageable for families: www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/5128.asp

• March of Dimes Share Your Story Web site: share your story, participate in online discussions about premature babies and meet other NICU families as well: www.marchofdimes.com/share

• March of Dimes Spanish-language Web site: access culturally relevant information that supports families who have a baby in the NICU: www.nacersano.org

Print and Audiovisual Materials

To order, call the March of Dimes Fulfillment Center at 800-367-6630.

• BABY:A Keepsake Journal. This beautiful booklet provides a place for parents to write about their new baby, including milestones, days of celebration, difficult days, hopes and dreams.
English: Item #09-1390-00 $50/pkg. of 10
Spanish: Item #09-1735-02 $50/pkg. of 10
English: Item #09-1390-00S $7.95 each
Spanish: Item #09-1735-02S $7.95 each

• When Baby Comes Early: A Parent's Guide to Prematurity.  This video guides parents through the premature infant’s hospitalization, including common procedures, tests and medical concerns. 
Eng. VID: Item #09-1667-02 $45.00
Span. VID: Item #091892-04 $45.00
  Eng. DVD: Item #09-1916-04    $15.00
  Span. DVD: Item #09-1917-04   $15.00

• Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies.  This fact-filled reference guides new parents through the many uncertainties of anticipating and caring for a premature baby.   Published by Simon & Schuster, 2002. 
Item #09-1833-03 $16.95 

Nurse Continuing Education

In addition to the project components and materials described above for NICU families, the March of Dimes uses its existing Nursing Module Program to offer continuing education for NICU nursing staff on topics related to caring for the critically ill newborn. The most relevant March of Dimes Nursing Modules are:

• The Premature Infant: Nursing Assessment and Management
• Breastfeeding the Infant with Special Needs
• Discharge and Follow-Up of the High-Risk Preterm Infant
• Easing the Transition from Hospital to Home: Postpartum Discharge Planning and Homecare Services
• Ethical Decision Making for Perinatal Nurses
• Genetic Issues for Perinatal Nurses
• High Risk Antepartal Home Care
• Loss and Grieving in Pregnancy and the First Year of Life: A Caring Resource for Nurses

NICU Family Support Chapters

Alabama
Arizona
California
Connecticut
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey
New York (Long Island)
New York (Albany)
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas (Austin)
Texas (Dallas)
Utah
Washington DC
Washington State
Wisconsin
Vermont

For More Information

For more information about NICU Family Support, call the March of Dimes Chapter Program Support Department at 914-997-4705
or visit the March of Dimes Web site at www.marchofdimes.com.