Early intervention for preterm babies, including assistance with feeding, holding and sleep positioning, can make a big difference in their early development. It can also boost confidence in the parents caring for them.
The birth center at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center cares for babies as young as 32 weeks in its special care nursery (SCN). A baby born before 37 weeks is considered premature or preterm and may need extra help to counter health issues and complications including concerns with breathing, eating, vision and hearing.
That’s where therapists comes in. With expertise in areas like occupational therapy and speech language therapy, they support babies in the weeks before they head home with their families.
“Babies in the SCN are getting wonderful medical care, and we’re there to help them develop sensory, motor and feeding skills,” said Mikaela Brock, an occupational therapist with UCHealth SportsMed Pediatric Therapy Clinic in Steamboat Springs. “We’re also trying to instill confidence in parents, as having their babies admitted to the SCN can be very intimidating.”
Empowering and educating parents, family members and other caregivers is an important goal for the therapists. Families with babies in the SCN could expect to work therapists in a number of areas.
Swaddling
Trying to recreate a womb-like environment is very important for preterm babies who didn’t have those extra weeks for brain and neurological development and need more support in making those connections.
The swaddling system wraps babies snugly in a blanket to limit their limb movement, help soothe them and reduce their startle reflex.
“We want to replicate what the environment was like inside the mother,” Brock said. “Swaddling helps protect a preterm baby’s sensory system which hasn’t fully developed.”
Feeding and positioning
Premature babies often lack the necessary oral motor development for the nutritive suck pattern that they need in order to nurse or drink from a bottle.
Therapists in the SCN work with parents on how to make modifications for milk flow during both breast and/or bottle feeding to help the baby safely suck and swallow during nursing and/or bottle feeding.
“We want to avoid negative experiences during feeding for the parents and the baby,” Brock said.
During feeding, Brock and Ceanna Rossi, a speech language therapist with UCHealth SportsMed Pediatric Therapy Clinic, recommend using an elevated side lying hold where babies are held on their side, so any extra milk flows out of their mouth and not down their throats.
“It’s hard to regulate how much milk is flowing from the breast or a bottle when using the traditional feeding position,” Rossi said. “This is why we teach parents and family members to elevate the baby and put them on their side.”
Educating importance of “tummy time”
Skin-to-skin contact during “tummy time,” when a baby can lay on its chest on a parent, is an integral part of bonding with babies.
When doing so, Brock and Rossi encourage parents to switch their baby’s head position from one side to the other so that the newborn doesn’t spend too much time on one side.
Alternating the neck position decreases the chances of a baby developing a flat head. It also protects the newborn’s neck muscles.
“Tummy time for a baby on a parent’s chest or lap is a wonderful opportunity for a little one to work on neck and motor skills,” Brock said. “Babies get time off of their backs, and those moments help to support their head shape, neck movement and strength.”
Empowering families
Providing instruction, education and encouragement to families navigating what can be a challenging and stressful time with their premature babies in the hospital is a top goal of everyone who works in the SCN.
That includes making parents feel comfortable with all aspects of care for their babies, especially those with special needs who may have feeding tubes, oxygen lines or other medical devices.
“We are here to provide extra support,” Brock said. “We work as a team and want parents and family members to feel empowered and confident when it’s time to head home with their baby.”
Mary Gay Broderick writes for UCHealth. She can be reached at marygaybroderick@comcast.net.
