When a newborn baby must be admitted to an intensive care unit, it requires medical monitoring at all times, but there is an emotional part that is also very important for recovery. As much as parents wish to be with their baby 24 hours, this is not always possible (for whatever reason), so hospitals look for "hugging" volunteers willing to take care of those babies admitted during the time they are alone.
Some hospitals, such as the General Hospital of San Bonifacio in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) are part of the Baby Cuddler program that recruits volunteers who want to donate hours of dedication to give warmth to babies who need it.
Volunteers are especially necessary when it comes to babies of addicted mothers, since they have neonatal withdrawal syndrome at birth. Mothers enter rehabilitation centers and it is the volunteers who give peace and human warmth to babies born to addicted mothers.
Numerous studies have shown the benefits of physical contact For premature babies. Keeping them skin to skin, hugging, caressing and whispering them has a very positive effect on newborns.
In Babies and more "Huggers", volunteers to give peace and human warmth to babies born to addicted mothersScience confirms it. According to numerous studies, such as this one published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, premature babies admitted to intensive care who were hugged from birth have better sleep habits and remain more attentive than those who had not been cuddled.
In addition, the heat regulation system, its heart rate and other vital signs improve when babies remain skin to skin, and this has a favorable impact on their recovery, and even has long-term effects on their life.
In Babies and more This “hugging grandfather” is 81 years old and donated a million dollars to help babies admitted to the ICUIdeally, it should be the mother and the father who provide the baby with this 24-hour security, since it helps strengthen the bond between them, but when it is not possible, for whatever reason (such as parents should be absent a few hours ), instead of being alone, the volunteers fulfill a valuable mission.
