March of Dimes Supporting NICU Families with NICU Family Support

Written by Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT Tuesday, September 29 2009 09:08

Mom Stages - NICU

User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

National estimates are that one in 10 babies born in the United States ends up admitted to a NICU (newborn or neonatal intensive care unit). These newborns are admitted because of premature birth or because they are sick newborns, with other medical conditions.

To help the families of these NICU babies, the March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health, developed their NICU Family Support to provide information and comfort to NICU parents and NICU families in crisis.

The March of Dimes NICU Family Support program is an available resource to help NICU Parents make it through the NICU experience.

About the MOD NICU Family Support

The NICU Family Support program was developed with input from former NICU Parents and NICU families. This program is built on a family-centered philosophy and is made available in many NICU's around the country as part of local March of Dimes chapters. Many NICU's have a part-time March of Dimes NICU Family Support specialist who works with families and staff and March of Dimes volunteers to provide parent-to-parents support to NICU families.

Key to the NICU Family Support program is that they address the needs of parents, siblings, grandparents and the extended family throughout the hospitalization. They also help parents in the transition home and are available in the event of a newborn death.

Online Resources from the MOD's NICU Family Support

For those who don't have a NICU Family Support Program or Specialist in their NICU, the MOD's NICU Family Support Program offers online resources, accessible by anyone.

• NICU Family Support Website - 24-hour access to information, resources and online communities.
• Las Familias en la NICU - NICU Family Support Website in Spanish - 24-hour access to information for Spanish-speaking NICU families.
• Share Your Story Website - A place online where NICU families can connect with each other, share their stories, and participate in online communities.  

A Keepsake Journal Available from the MOD NICU Family Support

The March of Dimes offers several additional useful resources for NICU Families available for purchase on their website. They have a beautiful keepsake booklet/journal called "Baby" for parents to record information, a place for parents to write about their new baby, including milestones, difficult days, days of celebration, hopes and dreams.

• Baby: A Keepsake Journal (Single Copy)
• Baby: A Keepsake Journal ( Spanish Single Copy)

This journal is available in both English and Spanish for $7.95. Larger quantities are available for NICU Family Support Specialists. If your hospital is fortunate enough to have a NICU Family Support Specialist, you may be able to get one of these keepsake journals for free.

About the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. They are dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Their mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. They carry out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. 

More on the March of Dimes

Dyer KA. 2009. NICU Family Support from the March of Dimes. NICU Parent Support Blog.

Dyer KA. 2008. Identifying, Understanding and Working with Grieving Parents in the NICU - Presentation on Docstoc. NICU Parent Support Blog. A presentation that I gave at a given at a local March of Dimes conference.

Image: March of Dimes Logo.

About the Author

Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief and bereavement, professional health educator, professor, lecturer and author. She is also the Parent of a very healthy NICU Survivor.

Dr. Dyer created and has maintained Journey of Hearts, a website for anyone who has ever experienced a loss. She is the author of For Those Who Hold the Littlest Hands, an eBook written to provide information, encouragement and support for NICU parents. She is the founder of the NICU Parent Support Site, a website developed to provide information, encouragement and support for NICU parents.

< Prev		Next >