When a pregnant woman uses drugs or alcohol, she exposes her child to these substances through the placenta, so at birth, babies have newborn withdrawal syndrome or neonatal withdrawal syndrome, as do their mothers. they become addicted.
At birth, these babies stop receiving the drug given to them by their mothers' bodies and then this syndrome appears. US hospitals and clinics began to implement a program in which they look for volunteers to hug and care for these babies that require special attention.
The benefits of receiving a hug are very large. It helps us to feel safe and protected, filling us with all kinds of positive emotions, as well as tranquility. Many of these babies spend months in the hospital, and sometimes their mothers are not there because they are in drug rehabilitation programs.
For this reason, Jane Cavanaugh, a nurse from Pennsylvania, created a program to recruit volunteers who embrace newborns. His idea came when he saw that the number of babies born with addictions increased and there were not enough people to support them in their critical hours, when they suffer from withdrawal and should be charged for several hours.
The program started at Thomas Jefferson University hospital in Philadelphia last year, and since then hundreds of volunteers have offered to participate, so much so, that they have already filled all the necessary spaces to cover all of 2017.
"These babies who are going through withdrawal need to be supported for extended periods"Cavanaugh said in an interview."They need human contact. They need to be reassured. They need to be talked to".
The symptoms that babies present when going through withdrawal symptoms are terrible, some time ago we shared in Babies and more a video where they are shown, and may include tremor, muscle spasms, shrill crying, irritability, sweating, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting, sleep problems and fever.
To participate in the program volunteers must take a course which Nurse Cavanaugh prepared in conjunction with the hospital's volunteer program coordinator. The first step is to certify that volunteers do not have a history of child abuse to later attend the course.
The training consists of a four hour class in which volunteers are taught to properly hold and wrap babies, as well as to wash their hands correctly and are instructed on infection control.
"We wrap babies with tight handles and hold them tightly. Babies need that because they tremble a lot. It gives them peace of mind and control. But we leave their hands free so they can touch their faces and put their hands in their mouths"says Cavanaugh.
Volunteers do not feed babies or change diapers, and their three-hour shifts they are always supervised by a nurse.
Although the program originated in Philadelphia, other clinics and hospitals in Pennsylvania, as well as other states including California and Texas, have similar programs where volunteers attend to cuddle babies in neonatal intensive care units.
"These volunteers are sent from heaven. They are wonderful when it comes to calming babies"says Maryann Malloy, a nurse at Einsten Medical Center, another hospital in Philadelphia where they have a similar initiative.
