Hospitals Need Volunteers To Cuddle Babies Born Addicted To Drugs And You Can Help
Time to cuddle all the babies.
Every year, just under 4 million babies are born in the United States. That's a staggering statistic, considering our annual death toll is only around 2 million. We are a baby-booming country these days, so it's only natural to assume that not everything goes as planned. What we never expected to see was a booming opioid industry and the depressing effect it has had on mothers and innocent newborn babies.
The numbers have been crunched, and in the last 15 years, the number of babies born suffering from NAS (neonatal abstinence syndrome) has quadrupled. If you don't realize what that means, I'll clarify: it means every 25 minutes, a baby is born dealing with opioid withdrawal symptoms, including pain all over and excessive shaking. They spend weeks in the NICU recovering from the trauma they were born into.
NBC NewsIn some communities, the rates of babies born with NAS are eight times higher than the national average, and it's got to stop.
In Tennessee, a group of attorneys general have banded together to sue the manufacturers of opioids. Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, a child development expert, stated:
Some infants are so addicted at birth that they need to be treated with morphine for weeks. The baby suffering from NAS in this photo is being administered morphine by his nurse in the NICU at Niswonger Children's Hospital.“The early experiences of these infants are crucial for their development. We must provide them with the nurturing they need to grow and thrive.”
NBC NewsIf you're feeling helpless right now, you're not alone. Empathetic people everywhere are driven to do something for these babies, but we're in no position to sue drug manufacturers or administer morphine. Fret no further, friends! Cuddle Care programs are stepping in where there is a need. The medical staff in hospitals everywhere tending to babies born suffering from NAS are understandably busy, but babies born with NAS are not able to soothe themselves, and almost always, their parents are struggling with their own addiction and are physically (and legally, usually) unable to tend to their babies' needs for snuggles and comfort.
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Jane Cavanaugh, a nurse in Pennsylvania, watched the rising rates of babies born with NAS and felt compelled to do something, starting in her hometown. So at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, she got the ball rolling. She told Philly.com:
Cavanaugh's team of 25 volunteers is diverse. After completing extensive background checks and a four-hour training course on things like hand-washing and infection control, the volunteers spend three-hour shifts cuddling babies under the supervision of a nurse. They don't change diapers or feed the babies; they simply attend to the need for love and compassion.These babies going through withdrawal need to be held for extended periods. They need human touch. They need soothing. They need talking.
Addy Schultz, 72, embraces a newborn.
David Swanson / Philly.com
She says:
At Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC in Pittsburgh, Maribeth McLaughlin oversees cuddle volunteers.When he cramps up, I hold him harder and pat a little firmer. They don't like to be stroked or caressed.
Children's Hospital Foundation
She told Today.com:
[The program] is about swaddling them and giving them that comfort and safe, secure feeling.
...We can see the reduction of the medication and often in the length of stay.
Over the years, countless studies have emerged proving the positive impact of touch, skin-to-skin contact, and meeting an infant's need for closeness, as well as demonstrating the detrimental effects of neglecting these aspects. Research conducted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio emphasizes the importance of human touch on a baby’s brain development. Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, a renowned pediatrician, states, "The first few months of life are crucial for brain development, and nurturing touch is essential for healthy growth," as noted on his professional website brazelton.org. Additionally, Dr. Michael Thompson, a child psychologist, highlights that "responsive parenting shapes the architecture of the brain, influencing emotional and cognitive development," which reinforces the need for attentive caregiving in early infancy. You can find more about his insights at michaelthompson-phd.com.
Southlake Regional Health Center
Especially since 2000, NAS rates have increased in the U.S. by 383% (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). With numbers like these climbing and so many wanting to help, it seems like cuddle programs are the perfect missing puzzle piece while lawmakers and politicians battle the problem head-on.
