A volunteer, newborn-cuddling program at Chester County Hospital provides premature babies with a much-needed human touch, writes Jacob Williamson-Rea for Penn Today.
A recent study showed that a human touch is critically important in an infant’s neurodevelopmental function. Another showed that infants with more physical contact while in the NICU have faster brain development.
The program was launched last November by Chester County Hospital’s Susan Cacciavillano and Stefanie Steinberger, who received a $10,000 grant from Huggies. The funds are used to train “cuddlers” who volunteer in the NICU, while infants undergo medical procedures. This ensures the infants receive enough physical contact and stimulation during early brain development.
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Cacciavillano, clinical manager of the NICU, said that the program has been integrated into standard care with no issues.
“A comforting touch in between and during these procedures decreases the babies’ stress, helps them create bonds, and lets them know that touch can be good instead of bad,” said Steinberger.
Read more about Chester County Hospital at Penn Today here.
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