Embracing diversity in the NICU

The sounds of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are what one might imagine — machines beeping, care teams bustling around and the hushed whispers of visitors trying not to make too much noise.

However, in the midst of it all, you’ll also find the sounds of parents sweetly reading to their baby.

In fact, parents of the tiniest babies in the NICU are encouraged to start reading to them soon after birth. The practice is part of two programs in the Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns NICU: Parent Reading in NICU Therapy (PRiNT) and the Supporting and Enhancing NICU Sensory Experiences Program. Both programs are designed to decrease parental stress and enhance the relationship between parent and baby, among other benefits.

“By encouraging early parental reading, we are providing the babies with a comforting and familiar sound, supporting early language development, and providing parents with a way to bond and help their baby's development while in the NICU,” says Jolene Boyd, DPT.

To help support daily reading in the NICU, Elsa Stout, clinical nurse supervisor and leader of PRiNT, established a small library in the unit. This gave families a convenient location to find books to read to their child. One of Stout’s colleagues, who loved the idea, decided to take action to build on its success.

“I spoke with some parents who wanted to take advantage of the library but needed more books in diverse languages,” says Janette Moreno, a registered nurse in the NICU.

A family affair

Moreno poured her passion into fundraising for new books that included different languages, cultures and family dynamics. She and her family sold raffle tickets to friends and coworkers and raised over $800 for the new books. Prizes for the raffle included an espresso machine and tumblers.

The raffle’s success enabled Moreno to buy 62 new books in various languages, as well LGBTQ-friendly books and other inclusive options.

The new offerings were a hit. Within the first five minutes of being placed on the shelf, parents picked the books up and began reading to their babies.

“I’m so grateful that others found this cause as important as I did,” says Moreno. “I want everyone to feel included.”

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