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Supporting Families in the NICU
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.  March of Dimes NICU Family Support® Programs are hands-on examples of how the March of Dimes is working to change this situation nationwide and in Pennsylvania. 

 

The March of Dimes Pennsylvania Chapter hosts a NICU Family Support® Program at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA.  Serving a largely rural population from across 35 counties, we are developing modules to serve the needs of families who travel great distances to secure intensive care for their fragile newborns.   The March of Dimes Pennsylvania Chapter also hosts our newest model, a NICU Family Support® Licensing Program,  at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem to provide support services to families in the Lehigh Valley area. 

Parent Feedback Leads to New NICU Family Support Programming!

Feedback from parents attending our many NICU Family Support activities fueled the idea to provide a short 10-15 minutes of education on topics pertinent to NICU families and the care of their fragile babies.  Parents steal a few minutes from their bedside vigils to relax and chat informally with our Neonatologists who join them to provide specialized education on caring for their babies once they leave the specialized care of the unit.  Parents share their concerns and clinicians answer their questions, relieving much stress and improving parents’ confidence in their ability to care for their newborns.   

Our Lactation Team chats with them about successful breastfeeding for preemie babies while in the NICU and later at home. 

The Infection Control Group developed a coloring book for NICU siblings that reinforces the importance of hand washing.

The Developmental Care Team and the Special Care Team talk about discharge from the hospital and those first days at home.   

Families are reporting increased confidence, enjoy this short-interval instruction,  their increased interaction with the clinicians.