LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — For families with a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit, finding simple moments of connection can be difficult.
A new program at UK HealthCare is encouraging NICU parents to create those moments by reading to their babies.
UK HealthCare’s NICU will participate in the seventh annual Babies with Books Read-A-Thon from Sept. 14 through Sept. 24. As part of the 11-day event, every NICU baby will receive a bag containing five books, thanks to a Children’s Miracle Network grant.
The international effort encourages parents to read to their babies while they are receiving care in neonatal intensive care units.
Brittany Gray, a NICU psychologist and psychosocial director at UK HealthCare, said the program is intended to help families establish a sense of normalcy during what can be a stressful experience.
“The hope is that reading to babies, having that moment of connection that feels normal, like a normal parent thing, is going to help build that attachment and bonding,” Gray said.
Parents will also receive information about the developmental benefits of reading. Hospital staff say reading can support language development, social and communication skills, while also strengthening the bond between babies and their parents.
Danielle Pemberton, a NICU child life specialist at UK HealthCare, said many parents do not have the opportunity to experience parenthood the way they expected because a baby’s hospitalization can be sudden and unexpected.
Reading gives parents a way to interact with their babies at the bedside and participate in an activity that may feel familiar.
Siblings can also take part. Families can use FaceTime or record a video of a sibling reading to the baby when an in-person visit is not possible.
Gray said those moments of connection can be meaningful whether a baby spends only a few days in the NICU or remains hospitalized for several months.
During the 11-day read-a-thon, UK HealthCare will track reading sessions and compare its total with participating NICUs across the country.
