You’re pregnant and counting down till that 40 week mark but for some their little ones decide to come along much sooner. Today is World Prematurity Day, a day dedicated to raise awareness for all the babies who are born prematurely worldwide.
The arrival of your baby is an exciting and joyous time but for parents of premature babies it’s also a worrisome and scary time. These babies are vulnerable, sensitive and need care around the clock. The hospitals and staff have the medicine and machines which are an important part of their treatment but they are discovering just how important and critical the human touch element is when it comes to newborn care and development. Many times the Mammas aren’t able to be there around the clock to provide skin-to-skin hugs and that is why our good friends at Huggies created No Baby Unhugged. This program is an initiative designed to help hospitals ensure that all babies get the hugs they need, even when Mamma can’t be there.
No Baby Unhugged directly supports NICUs in providing premature babies with the hugs they need to thrive. We’ve all heard about the amazing benefits of skin-to-skin which include improved oxygen levels and pain tolerance, stabilized body temperatures, improved sleep, brain development and more. For premature babies, skin-to-skin also positively influences their short-term and long-term development.
(click on image above to view the full document from the
Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres)
Through this amazing program, Huggies has provided $50,000 in funding to two Canadian hospital, with more planned. So far Huggies has partnered with Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, Nova Scotia and Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, offering funding to cover hugging chairs and stations, along with dozens of Hugger Volunteers in the neonatal intensive care units to help ensure all babies get the hugs they need. Over 600 babies are admitted to the hospitals each year, where hundreds of hours of care are offered by trained volunteers. Click on the videos below and see for yourself on how these No Babies Unhugged hospitals are making a difference.
Want to learn more about the No Baby Unhugged program and become a No Baby Unhugged Mamma? Click here to sign up and show your support for hugs.