Gestional diabetes is a condition that some women develop during pregnancy. Between 2 and 7 percent of expectant mothers develop this condition, making it one of the most common health problems of pregnancy.
These days, most women who develop diabetes during pregnancy go on to have healthy babies. Your practitioner will monitor you closely and you'll most likely be able to keep your blood sugar levels under control with diet and exercise, and by getting insulin shots if you need them. However, poorly controlled diabetes can have serious consequences for you and your baby.
For most women with gestational diabetes, the main worry is that too much glucose will end up in the baby's blood. When that happens, your baby's pancreas needs to produce more insulin to process the extra glucose. All this excess blood sugar and insulin can cause your baby to make more fat and put on extra weight, particularly in the upper body.
This can lead to what's called macrosomia. A macrosomic baby may be too large to enter the birth canal. Or the baby's head may enter the canal but then his shoulders get stuck. In this situation, called shoulder dystocia, your practitioner and her assistants will have to use special maneuvers to deliver your baby. Delivery can sometimes result in a fractured bone or nerve damage, both of which heal without permanent problems in nearly 99 percent of babies. (In very rare cases, the baby may suffer brain damage from lack of oxygen during this process.) What's more, the maneuvers needed to deliver a broad-shouldered baby can lead to injuries to the vaginal area or require a large episiotomy for you.
Because of these risks, if your practitioner suspects that your baby may be overly large, she may recommend delivering by cesarean section. Fortunately, only a minority of women with well-controlled gestational diabetes end up with overly large babies.
Shortly after delivery, your baby may also have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) because his body will still be producing extra insulin in response to receiving extra glucose from you. Your delivery team will test his blood sugar at birth by taking a drop of blood from his heel. If it's low, you'll want to feed him as soon as possible, either by breastfeeding or giving him some formula or sugar water.
Most of the information for this post came from www.babycenter.com.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Music with Labor and Delivery
Today we have an excellent post from a guest blogger, Carol Smith! I know you're going to enjoy it!
Labor and Delivery: Can Music Make a Difference?
Not for nothing did William Congreve say that "music had charms to soothe the savage breast;" if you’ve ever seen a woman about to give birth, you’ll know that if anyone needs soothing, it is her. Labor pains can wrack your body and make you feel like you’re being put through a wringer; it’s something that’s hard to understand if you’ve not gone through it yourself. No matter how prepared you are with your Lamaze and natural breathing classes, there’s always the chance that you may lose control because of the pain. And when you’re in the throes of pain, how do you calm yourself? One answer that really works is – MUSIC. So how does music make a difference during labor and delivery?
• According to this article, scientists have proved that music has therapeutic properties. It eases labor pain and removes the depression that moms feel after giving birth.
• When you listen to your favorite songs or slow music, you take your mind off the labor pain and the impending delivery.
• Music also helps you drown out the other sounds that could grate on your nerves – like the traffic outside your room or the noise made by other patients and workers in a hospital.
• It helps create a setting where you are at peace with yourself and your surroundings.
• Music reduces stress and anxiety and boosts your chances of having a normal and safe delivery
• It reduces the need for epidurals and other pain medication which could potentially harm your baby as it raises your pain threshold. You’re able to bear much more pain without suffering the accompanying physical agony.
• Music helps you relax and breathe deeply from your abdomen.
• Songs which have inspirational lyrics help soothe your mood and prepare you for the impending birth of your child. Some songs encourage and motivate you through the pain with their uplifting lyrics and soothing tunes.
One man’s meat is another’s poison, so what works for your friends may not necessarily work for you. Before you go into labor, be prepared with a collection of your favorite songs, tunes and melodies that calm and relax you and put you in a good mood so that you can play it while you’re in labor and waiting to deliver. Music is much better, more effective, and definitely safer than drugs that are meant to mitigate your pain.
By-line:
This article is contributed by Carol Smith, who regularly writes on the topic of ultrasound tech school http://ultrasoundtechschools.org/ . She invites your questions, comments at her email address: smithcarol.311@rediffmail.com
Labor and Delivery: Can Music Make a Difference?
Not for nothing did William Congreve say that "music had charms to soothe the savage breast;" if you’ve ever seen a woman about to give birth, you’ll know that if anyone needs soothing, it is her. Labor pains can wrack your body and make you feel like you’re being put through a wringer; it’s something that’s hard to understand if you’ve not gone through it yourself. No matter how prepared you are with your Lamaze and natural breathing classes, there’s always the chance that you may lose control because of the pain. And when you’re in the throes of pain, how do you calm yourself? One answer that really works is – MUSIC. So how does music make a difference during labor and delivery?
• According to this article, scientists have proved that music has therapeutic properties. It eases labor pain and removes the depression that moms feel after giving birth.
• When you listen to your favorite songs or slow music, you take your mind off the labor pain and the impending delivery.
• Music also helps you drown out the other sounds that could grate on your nerves – like the traffic outside your room or the noise made by other patients and workers in a hospital.
• It helps create a setting where you are at peace with yourself and your surroundings.
• Music reduces stress and anxiety and boosts your chances of having a normal and safe delivery
• It reduces the need for epidurals and other pain medication which could potentially harm your baby as it raises your pain threshold. You’re able to bear much more pain without suffering the accompanying physical agony.
• Music helps you relax and breathe deeply from your abdomen.
• Songs which have inspirational lyrics help soothe your mood and prepare you for the impending birth of your child. Some songs encourage and motivate you through the pain with their uplifting lyrics and soothing tunes.
One man’s meat is another’s poison, so what works for your friends may not necessarily work for you. Before you go into labor, be prepared with a collection of your favorite songs, tunes and melodies that calm and relax you and put you in a good mood so that you can play it while you’re in labor and waiting to deliver. Music is much better, more effective, and definitely safer than drugs that are meant to mitigate your pain.
By-line:
This article is contributed by Carol Smith, who regularly writes on the topic of ultrasound tech school http://ultrasoundtechschools.org/ . She invites your questions, comments at her email address: smithcarol.311@rediffmail.com
Friday, November 06, 2009
Calm a crying, fussy baby
Hearing a baby cry and cry and cry is very difficult for me. I knew before I had children that there was no way I could just let my babies cry themselves to sleep in order not to "spoil" them! I've never agreed with that philosophy because I believe that babies always cry for a reason: hungry, lonely, in pain, scared and hundreds more good reasons.
Scientists tell us that babies cries are very intentionally hard to ignore because if a baby cries, it needs attention of one kind or another! How about a lullaby? As a mother and a professional musician, I believe that singing, humming, or playing a recording of a lullaby, especially if it is familiar, can calm, soother and comfort a baby. Of course combining that with rocking, holding or snuggling the baby will also help.
If you played these lullabies for your baby during pregnancy, baby doesn recognize this music and often calms down very quickly. To see my lullabies and either get the download immediately or order the CD, go to fussy_babies.
Scientists tell us that babies cries are very intentionally hard to ignore because if a baby cries, it needs attention of one kind or another! How about a lullaby? As a mother and a professional musician, I believe that singing, humming, or playing a recording of a lullaby, especially if it is familiar, can calm, soother and comfort a baby. Of course combining that with rocking, holding or snuggling the baby will also help.
If you played these lullabies for your baby during pregnancy, baby doesn recognize this music and often calms down very quickly. To see my lullabies and either get the download immediately or order the CD, go to fussy_babies.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
What does birth look like?
This is a wonderful 3-D animation of the birth of a baby. Although each birth is unique, the majority of them proceed just about like this! Let me know if you have questions.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Your unborn child at 14 weeks
How your baby's growing:
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.
In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.
See what your baby looks like this week.
Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:
Welcome to your second trimester! Your energy is likely returning, your breasts may be feeling less tender, and your queasiness may have completely abated by now. If not, hang on — chances are good it will soon be behind you (although an unlucky few will still feel nauseated months from now).
The top of your uterus is a bit above your pubic bone, which may be enough to push your tummy out a tad. Starting to show can be quite a thrill, giving you and your partner visible evidence of the baby you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby, and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.
Decision Guide: Should you find out the sex of your baby?
Boy, girl — or big surprise? Sixty-four percent of mothers-to-be in a BabyCenter poll said they wanted to find out the sex of their baby ahead of time, while the rest preferred to wait. "We decided that the surprise of 'it's a boy!' or 'it's a girl!' is the same surprise at 5 months as it is at the birth," said Jessica. Michael disagreed: "I think the old-fashioned way is the best. Finding out before birth is like opening your Christmas presents before Christmas!" If you're still on the fence, here's a look at the pros and cons of each side. A word of caution: If you want to keep your baby's sex a secret, let your provider and the ultrasound technician know right away so they don't inadvertently blurt it out in the middle of an ultrasound exam or while reviewing your test results.
Benefits of finding out:
• Many women say they feel a deeper bond with the baby once they know the sex and can picture a little boy or girl.
• You can prepare an older sibling for the arrival of a new little brother or sister.
• You can narrow down your list of baby names.
• You can pick out a gender-specific nursery theme or baby clothes, if you want to.
Benefits of waiting:
• You, your partner, and your family will have a delightful surprise on the day you give birth.
• Your desire to know whether your baby is a boy or a girl might motivate you during the toughest parts of labor.
• You'll be following in the tradition of your parents, your parents' parents, and so on.
• There will be no mistakes — what you see is what you get!
Consider keeping the price tags on any baby clothes that are clearly for a boy or a girl until you see your baby for yourself. Ultrasounds aren't always foolproof at determining sex.
• How has pregnancy affected how often you have sex?
This Week's Activity:
Find a prenatal exercise class. If you haven't already, now is a good time to start a regular workout. Joining a class can help motivate you to stick with it. And many women find that prenatal exercise classes are a wonderful way to bond with and get support from other pregnant women. Some good options include water exercise, prenatal yoga or Pilates, a walking group, or a dance class designed for pregnant women.
(all info is from www.babycenter.com, a wonderful site!)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Preemies and Lullabies: Sing to your baby!
Are you pregnant or do you have a preemie? Both situations can be scary, especially if it's your first time. When a woman first finds out that she is pregnant, the last thing she is thinking about is whether or not the baby might come prematurely...not unless she has a history of pre-term pregnancies.
Understanding and being aware of the healing power of music with preemies can be very reassuring to the mother-to-be or to the new mother. Here are some important facts about music with preemies and newborns that you may not know.
1. The fetal ear is beginning to function at the beginning of the second trimester. In the beginning, baby hears mothers heartbeat, her blood circulating and other bodily functions such as digestive processes. By the beginning of the third trimester, baby can clearly hear conversations and lots of the same sound that mother is hearing.
2. Babies love their mothers' voices and are not at all critical. This is the voice they associate with nurture, safety, warmth and security.
3. When mother sings or hums to baby, the vibrations create a lovely and loving sonic massage for baby which strengthens the emotional bond between baby and mother.
4. Research studies have documented that babies who are sung to in the NICU and also in the newborn nursery gain weight faster, stabilize their vital signs faster, cry less and go home sooner.
5. Anecdotal research tells us that the songs that are sung to baby, often elicit a positive behavioral effect through the pre-school years, especially if they are reinforced regularly.
With information like this, I believe that mothers around the world will start singing to their child, born or unborn on a daily basis. I believe that the only thing that stops most mothers from singing to their babies is the belief that their voice isn't good enough. Mother must remember that her voice is the one that baby has been hearing for nine months or almost nine months and it is this voice that brings comfort to her baby!
What about CD's or tiny MP3 players? Those are second best. If mother is going to be away for an extended period (over 24 hours for a newborn), recording her voice singing the same half dozen songs that she sang before birth, would be a good idea.
There are hundreds of lullaby CD's on the market, including one you can purchase from me. In addition, you can sing any soothing, comforting song that comes to mind, including Christmas Carols, folksongs, pop tunes that are slow and happy sounding or best of all create your own! Songs and lullabies have been sung for thousands of years. What better heirloom could be passed from generation to generation?!
Understanding and being aware of the healing power of music with preemies can be very reassuring to the mother-to-be or to the new mother. Here are some important facts about music with preemies and newborns that you may not know.
1. The fetal ear is beginning to function at the beginning of the second trimester. In the beginning, baby hears mothers heartbeat, her blood circulating and other bodily functions such as digestive processes. By the beginning of the third trimester, baby can clearly hear conversations and lots of the same sound that mother is hearing.
2. Babies love their mothers' voices and are not at all critical. This is the voice they associate with nurture, safety, warmth and security.
3. When mother sings or hums to baby, the vibrations create a lovely and loving sonic massage for baby which strengthens the emotional bond between baby and mother.
4. Research studies have documented that babies who are sung to in the NICU and also in the newborn nursery gain weight faster, stabilize their vital signs faster, cry less and go home sooner.
5. Anecdotal research tells us that the songs that are sung to baby, often elicit a positive behavioral effect through the pre-school years, especially if they are reinforced regularly.
With information like this, I believe that mothers around the world will start singing to their child, born or unborn on a daily basis. I believe that the only thing that stops most mothers from singing to their babies is the belief that their voice isn't good enough. Mother must remember that her voice is the one that baby has been hearing for nine months or almost nine months and it is this voice that brings comfort to her baby!
What about CD's or tiny MP3 players? Those are second best. If mother is going to be away for an extended period (over 24 hours for a newborn), recording her voice singing the same half dozen songs that she sang before birth, would be a good idea.
There are hundreds of lullaby CD's on the market, including one you can purchase from me. In addition, you can sing any soothing, comforting song that comes to mind, including Christmas Carols, folksongs, pop tunes that are slow and happy sounding or best of all create your own! Songs and lullabies have been sung for thousands of years. What better heirloom could be passed from generation to generation?!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The musical, preemie pacifier
I thought I had heard it all when I was first told about the musical pacifier, but when I began to understand all the benefits, I changed my mind!
The smallest baby ever to survive was born just a few months ago, weighing in at just under 10 ounces -- the size of a large apple. When premature babies are born, they need special care. Now, experts say two new techniques are helping even the tiniest babies survive and thrive.
Aidan, Ella, and Zoe weighed less than a pound-and-a-half each when they were born, and they've been poked, prodded, and stuck with IVs and needles ever since. Now, these preemies are being massaged back to health.
"It's good for them," mother Susan Gaugh says. "It helps them trust people more."
Studies show massage helps digestion and helps these tiny babies gain weight. "It helps circulation, it helps with the immune system, it helps with sleep," says Maria Thillet, a registered nurse.
"They love it," Susan says. "They calm down. They're very relaxed when they get the massage."
This musical pacifier is doing more than calming these babies. The pacifier teaches premature infants the "suck-swallow-breathe" reflex. When they do it right, music plays. When they do it wrong, the music stops.
"They're quick to learn that once the music turns off then they need to start sucking again," says Amy Robertson, M.M., M.T./B.C., a music therapist at the Florida Hospital in Orlando.
Studies have shown babies who use musical pacifiers eat twice as much as those who do not use them. Experts say the faster a preemie learns to eat, the quicker their recovery time, and the sooner they get to go home -- and that's music to many babies' ears.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
The smallest baby ever to survive was born just a few months ago, weighing in at just under 10 ounces -- the size of a large apple. When premature babies are born, they need special care. Now, experts say two new techniques are helping even the tiniest babies survive and thrive.
Aidan, Ella, and Zoe weighed less than a pound-and-a-half each when they were born, and they've been poked, prodded, and stuck with IVs and needles ever since. Now, these preemies are being massaged back to health.
"It's good for them," mother Susan Gaugh says. "It helps them trust people more."
Studies show massage helps digestion and helps these tiny babies gain weight. "It helps circulation, it helps with the immune system, it helps with sleep," says Maria Thillet, a registered nurse.
"They love it," Susan says. "They calm down. They're very relaxed when they get the massage."
This musical pacifier is doing more than calming these babies. The pacifier teaches premature infants the "suck-swallow-breathe" reflex. When they do it right, music plays. When they do it wrong, the music stops.
"They're quick to learn that once the music turns off then they need to start sucking again," says Amy Robertson, M.M., M.T./B.C., a music therapist at the Florida Hospital in Orlando.
Studies have shown babies who use musical pacifiers eat twice as much as those who do not use them. Experts say the faster a preemie learns to eat, the quicker their recovery time, and the sooner they get to go home -- and that's music to many babies' ears.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Current Research on Music Therapy during Pregnancy
Effects of music therapy on psychological health of women during pregnancy.
Chang MY, Chen CH, Huang KF.
National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Taiwan.
Chang MY, Chen CH, Huang KF.
National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Taiwan.
I think that most women know intuitively that listening certain kinds of music during pregnancy really calms them down, soothes and comforts them. And of course, it's doubly powerful because when Mom calms down, baby calms down!
The following study just serves to further document what I've been saying for years now, "Music during pregnancy is a great way to calm yourself and your baby without ingesting potentially dangerous drugs and chemicals! Of course I highly recomment my own CD of "Lullabies for Mother - baby Bonding." If you listen to this on a regular basis while you're pregnant, the same tunes and melodies will calm and comfort baby after she's born whether it's played on CD or sung or hummed by mother. Baby loves HER mother's voice, no matter what, because that's the one she heard before birth! Click Here to BUY my LULLUBY CD.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music therapy on stress, anxiety and depression in Taiwanese pregnant women.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music therapy on stress, anxiety and depression in Taiwanese pregnant women.
BACKGROUND: The value of music therapy is slowly being realized by nurses in various clinical areas, including obstetrics. Previous studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of psychological stress during pregnancy. Few studies have examined the effects of music therapy on reducing psychological stress during pregnancy.
DESIGN: A randomized experimental study design was developed and implemented.
METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-six pregnant women were randomly assigned to music therapy (n = 116) and control (n = 120) groups. The music therapy group received two weeks of music intervention. The control group received only general prenatal care. Psychological health was assessed using three self-report measures: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), State Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (S-STAI) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).
RESULTS: In a paired t-test, the music therapy group showed significant decrease in PSS, S-STAI and EPDS after two weeks. The control group only showed a significant decrease in PSS after two weeks. This decrease was not as substantial as in the experimental group. An ancova test with the pretest scores as the control revealed that the changes in PSS, S-STAI and EPDS after two weeks were significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with the control group.
CONCLUSIONS: This controlled trial provides preliminary evidence that two-week music therapy during pregnancy provides quantifiable psychological benefits.
RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings can be used to encourage pregnant women to use this cost-effective method of music in their daily life to reduce their stress, anxiety and depression. Further research is needed to test the long-term benefits.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
What can the unborn baby hear?
Of all the questions I get, this is probably one of the top five. We know for sure that by the beginning of the second trimester, the growing infant's ear is functional. In the beginning baby mainly hears the sounds of mother's heartbeat and digestive sounds. But with each passing day, baby begins to hear outside sounds of talking, music, loud traffic and most anything else.
For that reason, it is very important to keep Mom's sonic environment peaceful and quiet. Even unborn babies can be traumatized by lots of loud noises, screaming, shouting, loud rock music, etc. Be good to yourself and your baby during this precious time of life for both of you. If you feel like working, that's fine, but just keep any loud noises or extreme agitation to a minimum!
As always, please let me know your questions!
For that reason, it is very important to keep Mom's sonic environment peaceful and quiet. Even unborn babies can be traumatized by lots of loud noises, screaming, shouting, loud rock music, etc. Be good to yourself and your baby during this precious time of life for both of you. If you feel like working, that's fine, but just keep any loud noises or extreme agitation to a minimum!
As always, please let me know your questions!
Friday, August 07, 2009
It's Official: Music can help preemies with pain
"Music may reduce pain and improve behavioral states in premature infants, researchers found."
LITTLE FALLS, N.J., May 29 -- Music may reduce pain and improve behavioral states in premature infants, researchers found.
A systematic review of nine studies investigating the effects of music on outcomes in premature babies found preliminary evidence for therapeutic benefits, Manoj Kumar, M.D., of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and colleagues reported online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
But because of the methodological weaknesses of some of the studies included in the review, a meta-analysis could not be performed and the findings need to be confirmed in more rigorous trials, they said.
Music is increasingly being used in neonatal units to improve behavioral or physiological outcomes and to manage pain during common procedures. Benefits include calmer infants and parents, stable physiological parameters, higher oxygen saturation, faster weight gain, and shorter hospital stays, the researchers said.
To document such benefits, the researchers conducted a review of nine randomized trials reported between 1989 and 2006 that studied use of music on outcomes in neonates. Six studies evaluated music for painful procedures including circumcision and heel prick.
The studies used various types of music, but lullabies were the most common.
The methodological quality of the studies was generally poor, the researchers said.
One high-quality pilot study of 23 infants undergoing circumcision showed benefits of music for the outcomes of heart rate, oxygen saturation, and pain, while two low-quality studies found no difference.
Three studies evaluated the effects of music on pain from heel prick, and found it may be beneficial for measures of behavior and pain, but they were of low quality, the researchers said.
One study of music-reinforced non-nutritive sucking among 32 poorly feeding preterm infants found a significant increase in oral feeding rates compared with controls.
The researchers said it would be of particular interest to confirm the effects of using music to improve oral feeding rates, which could have the potential of "saving finite useful healthcare resources."
Another showed significant benefits in terms of heart rate and behavioral scores with recorded music versus no music in stable preterm infants.
But one methodologically strong study found no difference on the effects of recorded instrumental lullabies in 22 preterm infants with chronic lung disease compared with a no-music control group.
In general, the researchers said, the studies demonstrate that music may be beneficial in terms of behavioral states and pain, although they showed inconsistent effects overall on physiological measures.
Therefore, they said, benefits need to be confirmed in future well-designed, high quality trials.
By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: May 29, 2009
Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner
LITTLE FALLS, N.J., May 29 -- Music may reduce pain and improve behavioral states in premature infants, researchers found.
A systematic review of nine studies investigating the effects of music on outcomes in premature babies found preliminary evidence for therapeutic benefits, Manoj Kumar, M.D., of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and colleagues reported online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
But because of the methodological weaknesses of some of the studies included in the review, a meta-analysis could not be performed and the findings need to be confirmed in more rigorous trials, they said.
Music is increasingly being used in neonatal units to improve behavioral or physiological outcomes and to manage pain during common procedures. Benefits include calmer infants and parents, stable physiological parameters, higher oxygen saturation, faster weight gain, and shorter hospital stays, the researchers said.
To document such benefits, the researchers conducted a review of nine randomized trials reported between 1989 and 2006 that studied use of music on outcomes in neonates. Six studies evaluated music for painful procedures including circumcision and heel prick.
The studies used various types of music, but lullabies were the most common.
The methodological quality of the studies was generally poor, the researchers said.
One high-quality pilot study of 23 infants undergoing circumcision showed benefits of music for the outcomes of heart rate, oxygen saturation, and pain, while two low-quality studies found no difference.
Three studies evaluated the effects of music on pain from heel prick, and found it may be beneficial for measures of behavior and pain, but they were of low quality, the researchers said.
One study of music-reinforced non-nutritive sucking among 32 poorly feeding preterm infants found a significant increase in oral feeding rates compared with controls.
The researchers said it would be of particular interest to confirm the effects of using music to improve oral feeding rates, which could have the potential of "saving finite useful healthcare resources."
Another showed significant benefits in terms of heart rate and behavioral scores with recorded music versus no music in stable preterm infants.
But one methodologically strong study found no difference on the effects of recorded instrumental lullabies in 22 preterm infants with chronic lung disease compared with a no-music control group.
In general, the researchers said, the studies demonstrate that music may be beneficial in terms of behavioral states and pain, although they showed inconsistent effects overall on physiological measures.
Therefore, they said, benefits need to be confirmed in future well-designed, high quality trials.
By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: May 29, 2009
Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner
Monday, July 06, 2009
How early can the baby hear?
Of all the questions that I get, I think one of the top five is "how early can my baby hear outside the womb?" It's hard to imagine, but for centuries people actually thought the baby was in a deep cocoon and that the ears began to function after birth! Of course we've known for well over a hundred years now that the baby does hear long before birth. Most embryologists will tell you that around the beginning of the 2nd month, many unborn babies ears begin to be functional and will be able to hear mother's heartbeat, circulation, and digestive sounds! Some women have known that all along...those that are tuned in to their bodies and aware that often the baby will "wake up" or move vigorously when Mom talks loudly or is around a sudden noise.
That's one reason that keeping the expectant Mom in a healthy sonic environment is so important. Try to avoid:
That's one reason that keeping the expectant Mom in a healthy sonic environment is so important. Try to avoid:
- arguing and loud, disagreeable conversations
- fireworks and explosions
- loud music of any kind whether rap, rock and roll or even classical
- sudden or persistant drilling, hammering or other such noises
What's the best kind of sonic environment?
- calming soothing conversations or music
- singing and talking to baby, beginning in the second trimester
- happy and positive interactions in Mom's day
- keep any conflict to a minimum
Of course there are babies born all the time into conflictual families, even in war zones, and they survive and even thrive! Humans are resilient creatures and can withstand unbelievable odds and hardships. But if you want to provide the optimal environment, follow as many of these suggestions as you can!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Preggatinis: Non-Alcoholic Drinks for Mom-to-be!
Well here's some good news! On these hot summer evenings there IS something beautiful and refreshing that pregnant Moms can sip with no guilty conscience! These lovely concoctions are call "Pregga-tinis" and they are yummy! You're not going to be left out of cocktail hour. A woman named Natalie Bovis-Nelse, also known as "The Liquid Music" shares some of her favorite recipes for the mom-to-be.
The first drink is called "The Inside Spa" and its purpose is to hydrate your baby-making organs from the inside-out! This refreshing cucumber concoction also contains some cayenne pepper, believed to stimulate internal cleansing! Here's the recipe:
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ounce sparkling water
Pour diced cucumber into a food processor. Add lemon joice and sugar and blend on low for 1 minute. Pour mixture into a large, ice-filled coctail glass. Top with sparling water and sprinkle with a pinch of ground cayenne peper.
The second drink is called "The Cosmom." If you 'd like this recipe, just contact me! Safe pregnancy!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Does Music help during a Caesarian delivery?
Music during caesarean section
In this Cochrane review, the authors attempt to gain insight into the effects of music on mothers and infants during cesarean section.
First, the details.
1 study involving 76 women (64 women evaluated) who planned to have their babies delivered by caesarean section was identified.
The study was of poor quality.
And, the results.
Music was provided from the beginning of anesthesia to the end of surgery.
The women’s heart rates were reduced by about 7 beats/minute.
Birth satisfaction scores increased by 3.4 points on a 35-point scale when women listened to music.
Respiration rates and anxiety were not affected.
The study didn’t report infant outcomes.
The bottom line?The authors concluded, “The findings indicate that music during planned caesarean section under regional anesthesia may improve pulse rate and birth satisfaction score. However, the magnitude of these benefits is small.”
6/25/09 18:10 JR
In this Cochrane review, the authors attempt to gain insight into the effects of music on mothers and infants during cesarean section.
First, the details.
1 study involving 76 women (64 women evaluated) who planned to have their babies delivered by caesarean section was identified.
The study was of poor quality.
And, the results.
Music was provided from the beginning of anesthesia to the end of surgery.
The women’s heart rates were reduced by about 7 beats/minute.
Birth satisfaction scores increased by 3.4 points on a 35-point scale when women listened to music.
Respiration rates and anxiety were not affected.
The study didn’t report infant outcomes.
The bottom line?The authors concluded, “The findings indicate that music during planned caesarean section under regional anesthesia may improve pulse rate and birth satisfaction score. However, the magnitude of these benefits is small.”
6/25/09 18:10 JR
Monday, June 01, 2009
Circumcision pain may be eased with music
The decision to circumcise is a painful one in and of itself. Many studies report that the experience is traumatic and stressful for the baby. Parents struggle with the religious, social and cultural implications of their decision, as well as issues like hygiene and potential health concerns.
If parents ultimately give the green light on circumcision, the next decision involves how, when and who. Will anesthesia be used? Should the procedure be performed soon after birth? Would it be better to use a man or woman doctor? How much will it cost?
While circumcision rates in the U.S. have dropped by approximately 10 percent over the last 15 years, the WHO estimates that approximately 75 percent of U.S. boys are circumcised. But when the procedures are done, only 14 percent of physicians use anesthesia, even though the American Academy of Pediatricians indicates that the need for pain control is clear.
Perhaps that’s why neonatal units increasingly use music as a way to soothe babies. New research suggests that playing music helps to calm babies and lower heart rates during stressful practices like circumcision and heel pricks—done to all newborns to test blood for metabolic disorders. Manoj Kumar, M.D., and his team at the University of Alberta reviewed data from nine trials, including six that looked at music played while infants underwent painful procedures. They looked at oxygen saturation, heart rates, and respiratory rates to see if music made any difference. While some benefits were observed, the jury is out on any hard conclusions.
The way I view it, any measure taken to help the comfort of the baby is worthwhile. We’ve seen how music can positively impact the well-being of ill patients and help us regulate our stress levels, why not provide that potential benefit to our little boys?
Posted by Jeri_at_Health on Friday, May 29, 2009 8:36 AM
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
More on lullabies
Everyone loves lullabies, even grown-ups! As a matter of fact, I'm listening to a lovely lullaby album right now and am seriously thinking of going straight to bed. Why do people love lullabies? Oftentimes, they are familiar, easy-to-sing melodies that bring back positive associations and feelings. If Mama or Grandma sang lullabies to you as an infant, chances are you had no words to say "I love it when you sing to me," or "I feel so safe and warm when you sing to me, please don't stop" and yet when you hear that familiar tune, your body and mind gets those warm, safe, cuddly feelings.
If you have a child or a grandchild on the way, please think about getting my lullaby CD so that you can sing to your baby and instill these wonderful feelings of bonding and being loved!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
What is prolactin and what does it do?
This afternoon I got a call from woman who was told by her doctor that her prolactin level is a litle bit high. She was told that it could affect her fertility and asked me exactly what prolactin is and what purposes it serves. I've done a little research on this and here is what I found: If you are having trouble getting pregnant, it may have something to do with your hormones. Hormones are special chemicals secreted by the glands in your body; they work on specific body parts in order to ensure proper functioning. Ovulation and menstruation are both triggered by hormone secretion. As a result, infertility is often caused by an imbalance in these hormones. Specifically, the hormone prolactin plays a large role in preventing some women from becoming pregnant.
What is Prolactin? Prolactin is a chemical that is secreted by your pituitary gland. This is the pea-sized gland found in the middle of your brain, which is responsible for triggering many of your body's processes. Prolactin is found in both men and women and is released at various times throughout the day and night. Prolactin is generally released in order to stimulate milk production in pregnant women. It also enlarges a woman's mammary glands in order to allow her to prepare for breastfeeding.
Hormones that Affect ProlactinLike many of your body's other processes, the release of prolactin is actually triggered by other hormones. Hormones affecting prolactin include:
dopamine
serotonin
thyroid-producing hormone
Serotonin and thyroid hormone help to increase prolactin release, whereas dopamine works to block prolactin release.
Prolactin Changes During PregnancyWhen you are pregnant, prolactin changes are completely normal. In fact, your prolactin must increase in order to encourage the production of milk in your mammary glands. During pregnancy your hormones are all over the place. In particular, your estrogen levels begin to rise, and this is what stimulates the increase in your prolactin levels. After birth, as your baby breastfeeds, nipple stimulation will trigger a further increase in prolactin. Prolactin is what allows you to continue breastfeeding for an extended period of time.
Prolactin and Infertility Prolactin doesn't just cause your body to increase milk production - it also affects your ovulation and menstrual cycles. This is why it is nearly impossible to become pregnant when you are breastfeeding. (In fact, prolactin is 90% effective against pregnancy in the first months after birth).
Prolactin inhibits two hormones necessary to your ovulation: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). Both of these hormones are responsible for helping your eggs to develop and mature in the ovaries, so that they can be released during ovulation. When you have excess prolactin in your bloodstream, ovulation is not triggered, and you will be unable to become pregnant. Prolactin may also affect your menstrual cycle and the regularity of your periods.
Prolactin IrregularitiesIf you are having difficulties becoming pregnant, it may be due to an irregularity in your prolactin levels. If your have elevated prolactin, this can inhibit ovulation and menstruation. Prolactin levels can be determined through a simple blood test. Normal prolactin levels in women are somewhere between 30 and 600 mIU/I. If your levels measure towards the high end of this spectrum or above, you may be suffering from a prolactin irregularity.
Types of Irregularities There are two main types of prolactin irregularities. It is possible to suffer from both at one time.
Galactorrhea Galactorrhea is a condition in which you begin to produce milk spontaneouly, without being pregnant or having given birth recently. It is a result of high prolactic levels. Other symptoms include:
enlarged breasts
painful or tender breasts
irregular menstruation
loss of sex drive
infertility
Hyperprolactinemia Hyperprolactinemia literally means too much prolactin in the blood. If you have hyperprolactinemia, you may also have galactorrhea, though this is not always the case. Symptoms of high prolactin levels include:
prolactin levels at or above 600 mIU/I
infertility
irregular menstruation
headache
reduced sex drive
vision problems
Causes of High Prolactin Levels There are a few things that may be responsible for your prolactin irregularities. In order to treat your infertility, you will need to determine what is at the bottom of your elevated prolactin levels.
ProlactinomaProlactinoma is one of the more common causes of prolactin-induced infertility. Prolactinoma causes a tumor to grow on your pituitary gland. This tumor secretes excess prolactin into your body. About 10% of the population have these tumors. They usually do not pose any health risks, besides infertility, though sometimes they can interfere with vision.
Prescription Drugs Prescription drugs can cause excess secretion of prolactin. Some anti-depressants, painkillers, and opiates block dopamine, preventing prolactin secretion from being inhibited. This can cause your prolactin levels to rise.
For more info, go to http://www.sharedjourney.com/define/prolactin.html
What is Prolactin? Prolactin is a chemical that is secreted by your pituitary gland. This is the pea-sized gland found in the middle of your brain, which is responsible for triggering many of your body's processes. Prolactin is found in both men and women and is released at various times throughout the day and night. Prolactin is generally released in order to stimulate milk production in pregnant women. It also enlarges a woman's mammary glands in order to allow her to prepare for breastfeeding.
Hormones that Affect ProlactinLike many of your body's other processes, the release of prolactin is actually triggered by other hormones. Hormones affecting prolactin include:
dopamine
serotonin
thyroid-producing hormone
Serotonin and thyroid hormone help to increase prolactin release, whereas dopamine works to block prolactin release.
Prolactin Changes During PregnancyWhen you are pregnant, prolactin changes are completely normal. In fact, your prolactin must increase in order to encourage the production of milk in your mammary glands. During pregnancy your hormones are all over the place. In particular, your estrogen levels begin to rise, and this is what stimulates the increase in your prolactin levels. After birth, as your baby breastfeeds, nipple stimulation will trigger a further increase in prolactin. Prolactin is what allows you to continue breastfeeding for an extended period of time.
Prolactin and Infertility Prolactin doesn't just cause your body to increase milk production - it also affects your ovulation and menstrual cycles. This is why it is nearly impossible to become pregnant when you are breastfeeding. (In fact, prolactin is 90% effective against pregnancy in the first months after birth).
Prolactin inhibits two hormones necessary to your ovulation: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). Both of these hormones are responsible for helping your eggs to develop and mature in the ovaries, so that they can be released during ovulation. When you have excess prolactin in your bloodstream, ovulation is not triggered, and you will be unable to become pregnant. Prolactin may also affect your menstrual cycle and the regularity of your periods.
Prolactin IrregularitiesIf you are having difficulties becoming pregnant, it may be due to an irregularity in your prolactin levels. If your have elevated prolactin, this can inhibit ovulation and menstruation. Prolactin levels can be determined through a simple blood test. Normal prolactin levels in women are somewhere between 30 and 600 mIU/I. If your levels measure towards the high end of this spectrum or above, you may be suffering from a prolactin irregularity.
Types of Irregularities There are two main types of prolactin irregularities. It is possible to suffer from both at one time.
Galactorrhea Galactorrhea is a condition in which you begin to produce milk spontaneouly, without being pregnant or having given birth recently. It is a result of high prolactic levels. Other symptoms include:
enlarged breasts
painful or tender breasts
irregular menstruation
loss of sex drive
infertility
Hyperprolactinemia Hyperprolactinemia literally means too much prolactin in the blood. If you have hyperprolactinemia, you may also have galactorrhea, though this is not always the case. Symptoms of high prolactin levels include:
prolactin levels at or above 600 mIU/I
infertility
irregular menstruation
headache
reduced sex drive
vision problems
Causes of High Prolactin Levels There are a few things that may be responsible for your prolactin irregularities. In order to treat your infertility, you will need to determine what is at the bottom of your elevated prolactin levels.
ProlactinomaProlactinoma is one of the more common causes of prolactin-induced infertility. Prolactinoma causes a tumor to grow on your pituitary gland. This tumor secretes excess prolactin into your body. About 10% of the population have these tumors. They usually do not pose any health risks, besides infertility, though sometimes they can interfere with vision.
Prescription Drugs Prescription drugs can cause excess secretion of prolactin. Some anti-depressants, painkillers, and opiates block dopamine, preventing prolactin secretion from being inhibited. This can cause your prolactin levels to rise.
For more info, go to http://www.sharedjourney.com/define/prolactin.html
Sunday, February 01, 2009
The tragedy of a stillbirth
Stillbirth - A Vast and Sudden SadnessBy Claudia Kalb NEWSWEEKFeb 1, 2009 - 11:46:54 AM
Each year thousands of families experience stillbirth. As science seeks causes, parents use photography to honor their babies and cope with their grief.
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Marirosa Anderson was still sweating from a workout when her cell phone rang at 8:20 p.m. on Nov. 11, a particularly cold night in northern Virginia. Anderson had planned to spend the evening with her husband and two small children. Then she saw the caller - ID number. She took a deep breath, readied herself and answered the phone. Karen Harvey, a labor-and-delivery nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital, gave her the rundown. A baby was about to be delivered by C - section and the parents wanted photographs. Could she come right over?Anderson threw on jeans and a sweatshirt, grabbed her camera bag and ran out the door. At the hospital, Harvey led her to a quiet room where Laurie Jackson and her husband, Michael, were waiting. Laurie's pregnancy had been easy and enjoyable, filled with the happy buzz of baby showers and the lovely air of expectation. But during a routine check that Tuesday afternoon - just three days before her due date - the Jacksons were given the incomprehensible news that their baby no longer had a heartbeat. The night before, Laurie had felt the baby kicking. Now she and Michael were confronting the impossible: saying hello and goodbye to their firstborn child at the very same time.Anderson introduced herself, then took out her camera, turning her attention to a perfect little girl who lay still in a bassinet, peaceful in a white cotton blanket with pink and blue stripes. "She's precious," Anderson said. Then she started to shoot. The baby's face. Click. Her tiny hands. Click. Her little pink feet. Click. Now it was time for the three of them. Laurie cradled her baby girl in the crook of her elbow, Michael leaned in next to her. Together they studied their daughter's face - her mouth resembled Laurie's family, the rest was pure Michael - they whispered to each other, they came together as a family. Their baby girl weighed six pounds, seven ounces and she was 19 inches long. They named her Brenna Rose.Pregnancy is supposed to be the most wonderful time, brimming with anticipation, kicking with newness and life. But as novelist Elizabeth McCracken writes in "An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination," a recent memoir about the death of her first baby, "this is the happiest story in the world with the saddest ending." Stillbirth happens more often than we imagine - 10 times more often than sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, a condition most every parent knows about and dreads. Every year some 26,000 babies die during or after the 20th week in their mothers' womb (a loss before that is considered a miscarriage) or die during birth. In at least half of all cases, doctors have no idea what went wrong. The impact is impossible to measure. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends - all must figure out how to absorb the vast and sudden sadness, to grieve and, in many instances, to reconcile with a God who has shaken their faith to its core.Decades ago, stillborn babies were whisked away from their parents to morgues; doctors and nurses pretended nothing happened, mothers were medicated with Valium, parents suffered their sorrow alone. It was in the late 1970s and early 1980s that the medical and psychological thinking about stillbirth began to evolve when researchers started studying the impact of a baby's death and parents began telling their stories. From silence and detachment came acknowledgment and remembrance. Today nurses encourage parents to hold the babies. Molds of hands and feet are created. Locks of hair are collected. And photographs are taken. Not just the clinical snapshots that nurses have been capturing for years, but striking and sensitive portraits that have burgeoned since the formation of a group called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep in 2005.Volunteer photographers who belong to the group, including Anderson, take pictures of stillborn babies - and babies expected to die soon after birth - for their parents at no cost. The idea was born from the life of Maddux Haggard, who was 6 days old and on life support in Colorado when his parents, Cheryl and Mike, decided they wanted pictures of their baby and contacted Sandy Puc', a local photographer well known for her beautiful baby portraits. After that photo session four years ago, Cheryl Haggard and Puc' founded Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, which has since grown to 7,000 photographers, most of them professionals, across the globe.Photographing the dead may seem strange, even morbid, especially in our American culture so uncomfortable with death. Those feelings are only intensified when the dead are the newly born or just hours or days old. "We associate giving birth with life, with the future, with the defiance of death," says Irving Leon, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor who specializes in reproductive loss. "To have that smashed, violated so powerfully, it's something people don't want to look at, both literally and metaphorically."Postmortem photography, though, has a long and treasured past. In the 19th century, when people died at home, families spent much of their savings on expensive silver daguerreotypes depicting their loved ones after they had passed away. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is a modern-day incarnation of this "memento mori" photographic genre (Latin for "remember your death"). Memories facilitate grieving, says Leon, which is critical to long-term healing. Holding a baby, talking to her and photographing her - all create memories that help parents cope with a devastating loss.Parents who are hesitant about holding their babies often change their minds toward the end of a shoot, realizing that they'll have no other chance to embrace their child. And the sessions bestow a quiet time for mothers and fathers to treasure and honor their babies without any interruption from nurses or doctors. In years past, parents didn't expect all of their children to live. Today babies are dreamed about and dwelt on, and the deep attachment that develops between parents - especially mothers - and their unborn children starts earlier than ever before. At eight weeks, a baby's heartbeat can be seen on ultrasound; parents now find out gender and assign names months before their babies are born. All this has intensified the grief reactions many women feel after they suffer not just a stillbirth, but a miscarriage too, says Leon.Studies show that mothers benefit from bonding with their stillborn babies. Joanne Cacciatore, a researcher at Arizona State University, studied 3,000 women and found that those who had the chance to see and hold their babies had fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. This benefit may be temporarily reversed during a subsequent pregnancy. And nobody should be pressured to hold their babies. But more than 80 percent of women who did not regretted the lost opportunity. Cacciatore, whose fourth baby, Cheyenne, died in 1994, calls this a period of "ritualization," a time for parents to honor their child and to feel some semblance of control during an emotionally chaotic time. Holding a stillborn baby allows women to connect and then separate themselves from their babies after months united in the same body. And it gives parents the chance to create positive memories, rather than live with the unknown: What did she feel like? Whose nose did she have? Was she peaceful?Doctors, nurses and social workers who encounter stillbirth have come to know this, and their thinking about how to care for patients has evolved enormously. Elisabeth Kubler - Ross's seminal 1969 book, "On Death and Dying," exposed the impact of loss and the long and intricate process of grieving. Parents of stillborn babies started talking about what it felt like to lose their children; physicians and psychologists began challenging the hush-hush approach. Michele Schwarzmann, director of maternal child health at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, can't forget the first stillbirth she witnessed in the 1970s. " 'Michele, you can't cry, you have to be strong'," she remembers her supervisor telling her. A decade later, Schwarzmann says she was finally allowed to express her sadness: "I sobbed for every baby I never got to cry over."Stillbirth is in many ways a medical mystery. Despite its gravity, it has been largely overlooked. Even today, researchers don't know the true incidence of stillbirth nor do they fully understand why it happens. In some cases, doctors can identify a cause - a prenatal infection that travels from mother to baby, a genetic anomaly, a placental abruption, an umbilical - cord accident. But in at least half of all cases - more than 10,000 a year - they can't pinpoint the problem. "Over the last 50 years, we've put a lot of research and clinical energy into preventing sick babies from dying after birth and a lot of energy into premature babies," says Dr. Robert Silver, an Ob - Gyn at the University of Utah School of Medicine. "We haven't put the same energy into stillbirth."All that became clear at a workshop held by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in 2001. "We realized that we needed to do a study that was larger than anything undertaken in this country," says Dr. Catherine Spong, chief of NICHD's Pregnancy & Perinatology Branch. With NICHD funding, Silver and other researchers began collecting data on more than 500 stillbirths at five sites around the country. Now they're analyzing the information. The hope is that the new information will help researchers sort out how to reduce a woman's risk for stillbirth, identify problems in advance so that couples can prepare for a loss and, ultimately, save lives.No matter how good the science gets, however, some number of babies will continue to die and parents will continue to grapple with the shock. Not long after joining Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep in 2007, photographer Jennifer Clark got a call from a hospital near Salt Lake City. The parents, Melina and Tom Anderson (unrelated to Marirosa Anderson), had three other children - a son, Jack, then 6, and two daughters, Amy, 4, and Mae, 2รข€”and they were excited about welcoming their fourth, another girl, named Ella. At 39 weeks, however, the baby's heartbeat started dropping precipitously and Melina had to have an emergency C-section under general anesthesia. Melina remembers waking up and hearing her doctor say, "I'm so sorry, she didn't make it." The umbilical cord, wrapped tightly four times around the baby's neck and once around her arm, had cut off her blood supply. Melina "made the kind of sound you never want to hear," says Tom. "Not really a scream, but almost. A moan." And then she started to cry.Clark was nervous. "I remember standing outside the door before I went in and I prayed," she says. "I wanted to make photos they would cherish." She also remembers a sense of peacefulness as she worked. It was a sacred time, and she was buoyed by the gratitude shown by Tom and Melina. But she was also profoundly saddened. At times, she had to put her camera down to wipe the tears from her eyes as she captured the images. Amy touching Ella's fingers. Mae, in her pink - and - yellow kitty - cat pajamas, a pacifier in her mouth, peering at the baby's face. Jack, who had accompanied his mother to every doctor's appointment. Tom and Melina looking at their daughter's face.The next day Tom carried his daughter to a hospital exit next to the ER, far from the place where new mothers are wheeled out with newborns in their arms and smiles on their faces. A mortuary attendant strapped Ella onto a gurney and drove off in a big white van. In the weeks after Ella's burial, Melina suffered both physical and emotional pain. Her breasts had to be bandaged to stop the milk from coming in - a poignant reminder of what should have been. Pregnant women brought tears to her eyes; new babies made her think about the milestones she was missing with Ella. But tangled up in the sadness was the conviction that Ella needed to be remembered. Clark's images allowed Melina to savor a face that was fading from her memory. And the Andersons' tributes to their daughter now assure her a constant place in the family. On the first anniversary of Ella's birth, the Anderson family held hands at her grave and sang "Happy Birthday." Then they went out for dinner and shared a birthday cake.When Clark first heard about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, she felt a powerful urge to participate, but she never imagined that she'd find herself on the other side of the lens. Last year Clark was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant. Her first three babies were healthy. This time, Clark's fetus was diagnosed with trisomy 18, a genetic disorder so catastrophic that less than 10 percent of babies make it to their first birthday. The Clarks, devout Mormons, never considered terminating the pregnancy. Above all else, they prayed that their little boy would be born alive and that he would live for some time - hours, days, weeks, maybe even long enough to go home.Connor Clark was born on Dec. 22 at 5:54 p.m. For just over an hour, his parents, his siblings - Ellison, 10, Sydney, 7, and Hayden, 2 - his grandparents and some of his many aunts and uncles held him, talked to him, rejoiced in him. Two photographers from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep shot the sobbing and the smiles, the kisses, the hugs, the gentle cradling and the embrace between Jennifer and her husband, Spencer, when they realized they were losing their son. At 7:20 p.m., Connor took his last breath. At his funeral service two days after Christmas, the Clarks showed a powerful video compilation of black-and-white photographs set to music for their family and friends. A life deeply mourned, a life lovingly celebrated.To learn more about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, visit their website . For additional information on stillbirth and to find support resources for families, visit the M.I.S.S. Foundation and First Candle. LINKwww.firstcandle.org And for more on research conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Development, you can visit their site .
Each year thousands of families experience stillbirth. As science seeks causes, parents use photography to honor their babies and cope with their grief.
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Marirosa Anderson was still sweating from a workout when her cell phone rang at 8:20 p.m. on Nov. 11, a particularly cold night in northern Virginia. Anderson had planned to spend the evening with her husband and two small children. Then she saw the caller - ID number. She took a deep breath, readied herself and answered the phone. Karen Harvey, a labor-and-delivery nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital, gave her the rundown. A baby was about to be delivered by C - section and the parents wanted photographs. Could she come right over?Anderson threw on jeans and a sweatshirt, grabbed her camera bag and ran out the door. At the hospital, Harvey led her to a quiet room where Laurie Jackson and her husband, Michael, were waiting. Laurie's pregnancy had been easy and enjoyable, filled with the happy buzz of baby showers and the lovely air of expectation. But during a routine check that Tuesday afternoon - just three days before her due date - the Jacksons were given the incomprehensible news that their baby no longer had a heartbeat. The night before, Laurie had felt the baby kicking. Now she and Michael were confronting the impossible: saying hello and goodbye to their firstborn child at the very same time.Anderson introduced herself, then took out her camera, turning her attention to a perfect little girl who lay still in a bassinet, peaceful in a white cotton blanket with pink and blue stripes. "She's precious," Anderson said. Then she started to shoot. The baby's face. Click. Her tiny hands. Click. Her little pink feet. Click. Now it was time for the three of them. Laurie cradled her baby girl in the crook of her elbow, Michael leaned in next to her. Together they studied their daughter's face - her mouth resembled Laurie's family, the rest was pure Michael - they whispered to each other, they came together as a family. Their baby girl weighed six pounds, seven ounces and she was 19 inches long. They named her Brenna Rose.Pregnancy is supposed to be the most wonderful time, brimming with anticipation, kicking with newness and life. But as novelist Elizabeth McCracken writes in "An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination," a recent memoir about the death of her first baby, "this is the happiest story in the world with the saddest ending." Stillbirth happens more often than we imagine - 10 times more often than sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, a condition most every parent knows about and dreads. Every year some 26,000 babies die during or after the 20th week in their mothers' womb (a loss before that is considered a miscarriage) or die during birth. In at least half of all cases, doctors have no idea what went wrong. The impact is impossible to measure. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends - all must figure out how to absorb the vast and sudden sadness, to grieve and, in many instances, to reconcile with a God who has shaken their faith to its core.Decades ago, stillborn babies were whisked away from their parents to morgues; doctors and nurses pretended nothing happened, mothers were medicated with Valium, parents suffered their sorrow alone. It was in the late 1970s and early 1980s that the medical and psychological thinking about stillbirth began to evolve when researchers started studying the impact of a baby's death and parents began telling their stories. From silence and detachment came acknowledgment and remembrance. Today nurses encourage parents to hold the babies. Molds of hands and feet are created. Locks of hair are collected. And photographs are taken. Not just the clinical snapshots that nurses have been capturing for years, but striking and sensitive portraits that have burgeoned since the formation of a group called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep in 2005.Volunteer photographers who belong to the group, including Anderson, take pictures of stillborn babies - and babies expected to die soon after birth - for their parents at no cost. The idea was born from the life of Maddux Haggard, who was 6 days old and on life support in Colorado when his parents, Cheryl and Mike, decided they wanted pictures of their baby and contacted Sandy Puc', a local photographer well known for her beautiful baby portraits. After that photo session four years ago, Cheryl Haggard and Puc' founded Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, which has since grown to 7,000 photographers, most of them professionals, across the globe.Photographing the dead may seem strange, even morbid, especially in our American culture so uncomfortable with death. Those feelings are only intensified when the dead are the newly born or just hours or days old. "We associate giving birth with life, with the future, with the defiance of death," says Irving Leon, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor who specializes in reproductive loss. "To have that smashed, violated so powerfully, it's something people don't want to look at, both literally and metaphorically."Postmortem photography, though, has a long and treasured past. In the 19th century, when people died at home, families spent much of their savings on expensive silver daguerreotypes depicting their loved ones after they had passed away. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is a modern-day incarnation of this "memento mori" photographic genre (Latin for "remember your death"). Memories facilitate grieving, says Leon, which is critical to long-term healing. Holding a baby, talking to her and photographing her - all create memories that help parents cope with a devastating loss.Parents who are hesitant about holding their babies often change their minds toward the end of a shoot, realizing that they'll have no other chance to embrace their child. And the sessions bestow a quiet time for mothers and fathers to treasure and honor their babies without any interruption from nurses or doctors. In years past, parents didn't expect all of their children to live. Today babies are dreamed about and dwelt on, and the deep attachment that develops between parents - especially mothers - and their unborn children starts earlier than ever before. At eight weeks, a baby's heartbeat can be seen on ultrasound; parents now find out gender and assign names months before their babies are born. All this has intensified the grief reactions many women feel after they suffer not just a stillbirth, but a miscarriage too, says Leon.Studies show that mothers benefit from bonding with their stillborn babies. Joanne Cacciatore, a researcher at Arizona State University, studied 3,000 women and found that those who had the chance to see and hold their babies had fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. This benefit may be temporarily reversed during a subsequent pregnancy. And nobody should be pressured to hold their babies. But more than 80 percent of women who did not regretted the lost opportunity. Cacciatore, whose fourth baby, Cheyenne, died in 1994, calls this a period of "ritualization," a time for parents to honor their child and to feel some semblance of control during an emotionally chaotic time. Holding a stillborn baby allows women to connect and then separate themselves from their babies after months united in the same body. And it gives parents the chance to create positive memories, rather than live with the unknown: What did she feel like? Whose nose did she have? Was she peaceful?Doctors, nurses and social workers who encounter stillbirth have come to know this, and their thinking about how to care for patients has evolved enormously. Elisabeth Kubler - Ross's seminal 1969 book, "On Death and Dying," exposed the impact of loss and the long and intricate process of grieving. Parents of stillborn babies started talking about what it felt like to lose their children; physicians and psychologists began challenging the hush-hush approach. Michele Schwarzmann, director of maternal child health at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, can't forget the first stillbirth she witnessed in the 1970s. " 'Michele, you can't cry, you have to be strong'," she remembers her supervisor telling her. A decade later, Schwarzmann says she was finally allowed to express her sadness: "I sobbed for every baby I never got to cry over."Stillbirth is in many ways a medical mystery. Despite its gravity, it has been largely overlooked. Even today, researchers don't know the true incidence of stillbirth nor do they fully understand why it happens. In some cases, doctors can identify a cause - a prenatal infection that travels from mother to baby, a genetic anomaly, a placental abruption, an umbilical - cord accident. But in at least half of all cases - more than 10,000 a year - they can't pinpoint the problem. "Over the last 50 years, we've put a lot of research and clinical energy into preventing sick babies from dying after birth and a lot of energy into premature babies," says Dr. Robert Silver, an Ob - Gyn at the University of Utah School of Medicine. "We haven't put the same energy into stillbirth."All that became clear at a workshop held by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in 2001. "We realized that we needed to do a study that was larger than anything undertaken in this country," says Dr. Catherine Spong, chief of NICHD's Pregnancy & Perinatology Branch. With NICHD funding, Silver and other researchers began collecting data on more than 500 stillbirths at five sites around the country. Now they're analyzing the information. The hope is that the new information will help researchers sort out how to reduce a woman's risk for stillbirth, identify problems in advance so that couples can prepare for a loss and, ultimately, save lives.No matter how good the science gets, however, some number of babies will continue to die and parents will continue to grapple with the shock. Not long after joining Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep in 2007, photographer Jennifer Clark got a call from a hospital near Salt Lake City. The parents, Melina and Tom Anderson (unrelated to Marirosa Anderson), had three other children - a son, Jack, then 6, and two daughters, Amy, 4, and Mae, 2รข€”and they were excited about welcoming their fourth, another girl, named Ella. At 39 weeks, however, the baby's heartbeat started dropping precipitously and Melina had to have an emergency C-section under general anesthesia. Melina remembers waking up and hearing her doctor say, "I'm so sorry, she didn't make it." The umbilical cord, wrapped tightly four times around the baby's neck and once around her arm, had cut off her blood supply. Melina "made the kind of sound you never want to hear," says Tom. "Not really a scream, but almost. A moan." And then she started to cry.Clark was nervous. "I remember standing outside the door before I went in and I prayed," she says. "I wanted to make photos they would cherish." She also remembers a sense of peacefulness as she worked. It was a sacred time, and she was buoyed by the gratitude shown by Tom and Melina. But she was also profoundly saddened. At times, she had to put her camera down to wipe the tears from her eyes as she captured the images. Amy touching Ella's fingers. Mae, in her pink - and - yellow kitty - cat pajamas, a pacifier in her mouth, peering at the baby's face. Jack, who had accompanied his mother to every doctor's appointment. Tom and Melina looking at their daughter's face.The next day Tom carried his daughter to a hospital exit next to the ER, far from the place where new mothers are wheeled out with newborns in their arms and smiles on their faces. A mortuary attendant strapped Ella onto a gurney and drove off in a big white van. In the weeks after Ella's burial, Melina suffered both physical and emotional pain. Her breasts had to be bandaged to stop the milk from coming in - a poignant reminder of what should have been. Pregnant women brought tears to her eyes; new babies made her think about the milestones she was missing with Ella. But tangled up in the sadness was the conviction that Ella needed to be remembered. Clark's images allowed Melina to savor a face that was fading from her memory. And the Andersons' tributes to their daughter now assure her a constant place in the family. On the first anniversary of Ella's birth, the Anderson family held hands at her grave and sang "Happy Birthday." Then they went out for dinner and shared a birthday cake.When Clark first heard about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, she felt a powerful urge to participate, but she never imagined that she'd find herself on the other side of the lens. Last year Clark was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant. Her first three babies were healthy. This time, Clark's fetus was diagnosed with trisomy 18, a genetic disorder so catastrophic that less than 10 percent of babies make it to their first birthday. The Clarks, devout Mormons, never considered terminating the pregnancy. Above all else, they prayed that their little boy would be born alive and that he would live for some time - hours, days, weeks, maybe even long enough to go home.Connor Clark was born on Dec. 22 at 5:54 p.m. For just over an hour, his parents, his siblings - Ellison, 10, Sydney, 7, and Hayden, 2 - his grandparents and some of his many aunts and uncles held him, talked to him, rejoiced in him. Two photographers from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep shot the sobbing and the smiles, the kisses, the hugs, the gentle cradling and the embrace between Jennifer and her husband, Spencer, when they realized they were losing their son. At 7:20 p.m., Connor took his last breath. At his funeral service two days after Christmas, the Clarks showed a powerful video compilation of black-and-white photographs set to music for their family and friends. A life deeply mourned, a life lovingly celebrated.To learn more about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, visit their website . For additional information on stillbirth and to find support resources for families, visit the M.I.S.S. Foundation and First Candle. LINKwww.firstcandle.org And for more on research conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Development, you can visit their site .
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Octuplets make an early appearance today
No one really plans to have multiple births. Usually, difficulty getting or staying pregnant causes a couple to consider fertility drugs. I believe this was the case with this family. According to some "authority" whom I heard on the Today Show earlier, multiple embryos were implanted in this woman's uterus, but usually "survival of the fittest" prevails and only one or two survive. Apparently 8 were implanted and 8 survived!
“They are doing amazingly well at this time,” said Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neonatologist who was part of the team of 46 doctors, nurses and others who took part in the cesarean section delivery. But he added: “I won’t be able to comment on chances of survival because we’ve never had eight babies born at 30 weeks before.”
Obstacles aheadThe odds of survival drop off dramatically in multiple births, particularly if there are more than three babies. The risks include breathing and eating difficulties and growth problems because their lungs and other systems are often underdeveloped. They also may have hearing or vision problems and learning disabilities as they mature.
In fact, the risks in multiple births are so high that when a woman is pregnant with more than three babies, doctors routinely recommend “selective reduction,” or aborting some of them. But Dr. Harold M. Henry, director of maternal-fetal medicine for the hospital, would not discuss what took place in this case.
The babies were still in incubators and their mother had not been able to hold them yet. Three had oxygen tubes up their noses to help them breathe.
"All babies seem to be stable," Maples told NBC's TODAY. "All of them are now breathing on their own and are no longer requiring ventilators."
Obstacles aheadThe odds of survival drop off dramatically in multiple births, particularly if there are more than three babies. The risks include breathing and eating difficulties and growth problems because their lungs and other systems are often underdeveloped. They also may have hearing or vision problems and learning disabilities as they mature.
In fact, the risks in multiple births are so high that when a woman is pregnant with more than three babies, doctors routinely recommend “selective reduction,” or aborting some of them. But Dr. Harold M. Henry, director of maternal-fetal medicine for the hospital, would not discuss what took place in this case.
The babies were still in incubators and their mother had not been able to hold them yet. Three had oxygen tubes up their noses to help them breathe.
"All babies seem to be stable," Maples told NBC's TODAY. "All of them are now breathing on their own and are no longer requiring ventilators."
The first four were expected to begin taking milk sometime Tuesday, with the others shortly after that.
“That’s the biggest test,” Gupta said. “We want to make sure that they start tolerating and digesting the milk.”
The mother plans to nurse the babies herself, which are now being fed pumped breast milk, Gupta told TODAY.
"Right now, we are really encouraging her," Gupta said. "She is going to breast-feed the babies.
A little surpriseThe woman and her doctors were actually expecting seven children, not eight. The delivery team was thinking the hard work was over after that seventh baby was removed from the womb, when another physician spotted another little hand, Maples said.
The mother reacted calmly to the news, said Dr. Jalil Riazi, an anesthesiologist. “Her question was, ‘Really, an eighth baby? How did we miss that baby?”’ he said.
"There are multiple spines and heads and shoulders, with movement of the babies during the ultrasounds," Maples told TODAY. "So, it's not unusual at some times, especially during these high order multiples, that you can miss another baby."
List of octuplets born
The eight children, in the order of their appearance, born at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center.
— Baby A, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:43 a.m.
— Baby B, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:44 a.m.
— Baby C, a boy, weighing 3 pounds, 4 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
— Baby D, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 8 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
— Baby E, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces, born at 10:46 a.m.
— Baby F, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:47 a.m.
— Baby G, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces, born 10:47 a.m.
— Baby H, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:48 a.m.
Baby H was a surprise to the delivery room team, doctors said they repeatedly conducted practice sessions in anticipation of the deliveries and were well prepared.
The mother had checked into the hospital in her 23rd week and spent nearly two months working with doctors in preparation for the big day. Mainly she got a lot of bed rest, Maples said, while the medical team repeatedly conducted practice sessions.
“That’s the biggest test,” Gupta said. “We want to make sure that they start tolerating and digesting the milk.”
The mother plans to nurse the babies herself, which are now being fed pumped breast milk, Gupta told TODAY.
"Right now, we are really encouraging her," Gupta said. "She is going to breast-feed the babies.
A little surpriseThe woman and her doctors were actually expecting seven children, not eight. The delivery team was thinking the hard work was over after that seventh baby was removed from the womb, when another physician spotted another little hand, Maples said.
The mother reacted calmly to the news, said Dr. Jalil Riazi, an anesthesiologist. “Her question was, ‘Really, an eighth baby? How did we miss that baby?”’ he said.
"There are multiple spines and heads and shoulders, with movement of the babies during the ultrasounds," Maples told TODAY. "So, it's not unusual at some times, especially during these high order multiples, that you can miss another baby."
List of octuplets born
The eight children, in the order of their appearance, born at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center.
— Baby A, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:43 a.m.
— Baby B, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:44 a.m.
— Baby C, a boy, weighing 3 pounds, 4 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
— Baby D, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 8 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
— Baby E, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces, born at 10:46 a.m.
— Baby F, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:47 a.m.
— Baby G, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces, born 10:47 a.m.
— Baby H, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:48 a.m.
Baby H was a surprise to the delivery room team, doctors said they repeatedly conducted practice sessions in anticipation of the deliveries and were well prepared.
The mother had checked into the hospital in her 23rd week and spent nearly two months working with doctors in preparation for the big day. Mainly she got a lot of bed rest, Maples said, while the medical team repeatedly conducted practice sessions.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Adult 'preemies" in the NICU
Here's a fascinating experiment! Would you try it?
Adult 'preemies' get NICU treatment
By Lois M. Collins
Deseret News
Published: Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 1:06 a.m. MST
The room is dark and mostly silent, except for the sound of a heartbeat that seems to reverberate everywhere. "Baby" lies on the floor, eyes closed and peaceful. Then the doors fling open and noisy people rush in, grasping at Baby, repositioning her, using a tongue depressor the size of a paint stirrer and taping an oversized straw in her mouth. At 28 weeks' gestation, she's about to be admitted to intensive care, with all the testing that entails.
Strangers fuss with her diaper and someone positions an ice-cold stethoscope. Before they're done, she will have had cold liquid on her skin, been talked to VERY loudly and had lights shined in her pried-open eyes. The tape that secures the tube in her mouth will be pulled off — and probably re-applied and pulled off again.
It's enough to make a grown Baby want to cry, as the adult volunteers playing Baby learned in a special training Thursday called "Preemie for a Day" at University Hospital.
Imagine how all the poking and fussing feels to actual preemies in an intensive care unit, said Kay Johnson and Michelle Waddell, child development experts from Children's Medical Ventures, which presents the training worldwide. The session was sponsored by the hospital and March of Dimes, which has a family support program in the U. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, said spokesman Stephen McDonald.
At times the volunteer babies had trouble stifling laughter, but the message was serious: Little things like shielding a real preemie's eyes from the light or warming gel before applying it make a huge difference. And stress is harmful not only to healing, but to development.
Later, Johnson said, some of the volunteers will say they were cold. That's easily fixed. Some will say it was too loud. That's something staff can change, too.
This type of training is not just about comfort. Proper handling aids a premature baby's brain development — and certain things can disrupt it. It's possible, for instance, to bypass complete auditory development as you push visual stimulation. Poor positioning can set up later problems with receptiveness to touch and body alignment and more.
The training also helps staff deal with and guide the stressed-out families of preemies. Take touch: preemies have different tolerance for it. Education and collaboration helps families figure out what pleases and soothes the baby. Petting, for instance, may irritate the baby but is instinctual for some parents.
Johnson emphasized the need for NICUs to transition babies so when they go home they're not facing abrupt and disruptive changes, especially during sleep. Premature babies, she said, make the "top five" on the shaken babies list, adding more urgency to helping them be good sleepers and less fussy at home.
Respect was another theme. "How many of us know who this baby will become," Johnson said, adding that if staffers always respect the baby, the parents and their own co-workers, "you will never make a mistake."
"This reinforces how powerful touch is," said occupational therapist Sarah Meyer after the training. "What we do really does have impact on these babies long-term and on brain development. We can influence development."
Adult 'preemies' get NICU treatment
By Lois M. Collins
Deseret News
Published: Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 1:06 a.m. MST
The room is dark and mostly silent, except for the sound of a heartbeat that seems to reverberate everywhere. "Baby" lies on the floor, eyes closed and peaceful. Then the doors fling open and noisy people rush in, grasping at Baby, repositioning her, using a tongue depressor the size of a paint stirrer and taping an oversized straw in her mouth. At 28 weeks' gestation, she's about to be admitted to intensive care, with all the testing that entails.
Strangers fuss with her diaper and someone positions an ice-cold stethoscope. Before they're done, she will have had cold liquid on her skin, been talked to VERY loudly and had lights shined in her pried-open eyes. The tape that secures the tube in her mouth will be pulled off — and probably re-applied and pulled off again.
It's enough to make a grown Baby want to cry, as the adult volunteers playing Baby learned in a special training Thursday called "Preemie for a Day" at University Hospital.
Imagine how all the poking and fussing feels to actual preemies in an intensive care unit, said Kay Johnson and Michelle Waddell, child development experts from Children's Medical Ventures, which presents the training worldwide. The session was sponsored by the hospital and March of Dimes, which has a family support program in the U. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, said spokesman Stephen McDonald.
At times the volunteer babies had trouble stifling laughter, but the message was serious: Little things like shielding a real preemie's eyes from the light or warming gel before applying it make a huge difference. And stress is harmful not only to healing, but to development.
Later, Johnson said, some of the volunteers will say they were cold. That's easily fixed. Some will say it was too loud. That's something staff can change, too.
This type of training is not just about comfort. Proper handling aids a premature baby's brain development — and certain things can disrupt it. It's possible, for instance, to bypass complete auditory development as you push visual stimulation. Poor positioning can set up later problems with receptiveness to touch and body alignment and more.
The training also helps staff deal with and guide the stressed-out families of preemies. Take touch: preemies have different tolerance for it. Education and collaboration helps families figure out what pleases and soothes the baby. Petting, for instance, may irritate the baby but is instinctual for some parents.
Johnson emphasized the need for NICUs to transition babies so when they go home they're not facing abrupt and disruptive changes, especially during sleep. Premature babies, she said, make the "top five" on the shaken babies list, adding more urgency to helping them be good sleepers and less fussy at home.
Respect was another theme. "How many of us know who this baby will become," Johnson said, adding that if staffers always respect the baby, the parents and their own co-workers, "you will never make a mistake."
"This reinforces how powerful touch is," said occupational therapist Sarah Meyer after the training. "What we do really does have impact on these babies long-term and on brain development. We can influence development."
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Your unborn baby's hearing
Throughout my three pregnancies I wondered, "can my baby hear the music around me; can she hear my conversations with friends and family?" Well, I didn't know the answer then, but I do now! The developing ear is beginning to be functional by the beginning of the second trimester! Research shows that around the beginning of the 4th month, baby can hear Mom's heartbeat, digestive sounds and circulation sounds. Over the next six months hearing grows and by the last trimester baby can pretty much hear what you hear! What does this mean for the health of the baby? If you sing or hum a carefully selected 6 or 8 tunes for baby, these very same songs, sung after baby's birth, will calm and soothe baby immediately! They will be associated with warmth, nurturing and feeling safe. If perchance your little one comes early these songs will help her to gain weight faster, stabilize body rhythms and temperature and go home as much as five days earlier! According to hospital bills, one day in the neonatal intensive care unit is over $15,000 per day!! So start singing!!If you don't know any lullabies, order my CD "Lullabies for Healthy Bonding." Link to this CD here.
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