ABC News recently reported on a program at the Neonatology Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, in Stanford, California and it deserves to be passed on.
Kind and compassionate volunteers show up every day to ‘cuddle’ the infants. It’s such a simple act, tenderly making contact with a tiny baby in need. Yet, such connection increases the infant’s blood oxygenation, which relaxes the baby and results in deeper breathing. Doctors say that “cuddling leads to better tolerance of pain, more stable body temperature and even stronger vital signs.”
Recognizing that there is no substitution for human touch and the sound of a soothing, caring voice, these kinds of program can be found in most major hospitals and that’s good news!
photo credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net/