 Saint
Barnabas neonatologist Teresa Stec, M.D., recommends that parents
have contact with their infant in the NICU as soon as the baby’s
condition stabilizes. While newborns in the NICU may be connected
to many different kinds of equipment, bonding with their parents
is important. Parents can talk to
the nurses or doctors about holding their baby, doing Kangaroo
Care with their baby or simply cradling their infants with a
hand hug. Once parents overcome their initial fear of “breaking” such
a tiny infant, the physical contact promotes bonding. Even the
most premature baby will curl a hand around a parent’s
finger.
Many parents decorate their baby’s incubator with family
photographs and other loving touches. Some families place a tiny
tape recorder in the incubator. The parents read stories into tapes
and the familiar sound of their voices comforts the baby and helps
him or her to distinguish their voices from others.
NICU parents can participate in the care of their baby, including
changing diapers and feeding, either through bottles or a syringe
into a feeding tube. Breast milk is best for all babies but
especially those in the NICU. If a baby is unable to breastfeed,
mothers can pump their milk to be given to their infant at a later
time. The NICU has breast pumps available for mothers to
use.
The days spent in the NICU provide time for the premature infant
to develop organs, especially the lungs and heart. Because premature
babies sometimes experience health setbacks, the NICU offers a
support group for parents. Another source of strength can come
from other NICU families. Despite the sometimes frightening circumstances,
Dr. Stec has found that the overwhelming majority of couples turn
to each other and work together throughout the experience.
When parents finally bring their baby home from the NICU, they
may still feel their childrearing experience is different from
others. Dr. Stec recommends that parents of premature infants avoid
comparing their child with other full-term babies born in the same
time period. In the premature baby, every part of the body that
was supposed to continue to grow inside the mother has to mature
outside the womb. At one year of age, a child who was born four
months premature may be the developmental equivalent of a 9-month-old. “This
developmental delay usually corrects itself by 18 months to two
years of age,” reports Dr. Stec. “Although the more
premature the baby, the longer it may take.”
For the 10 to 15 percent of premature infants who may continue
to experience developmental or health problems, Saint Barnabas
offers the High-Risk Infant Follow-Up Program. Babies receive physical
and occupational therapy to improve gross and fine motor skills,
as well as assistance in a variety of areas.
For more information, please call (973) 322-5314.
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