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Families with Babies in Intensive Care to Benefit from New Project

March of Dimes Collaborates with the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD)

(Lebanon, NH May 19, 2009)— When families are preparing for a new baby, no one expects anything to go wrong. But every year approximately 1 in 10 newborns are admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) because they are born too soon, too small, or with a birth defect or other medical problem at birth. The hospitalization of a baby in a NICU can be one of the most frightening, confusing and overwhelming experiences a parent can have. The March of Dimes NICU Family Support program aims to offer help and hope to families with a baby in the NICU.

In 2008, the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) at CHaD, the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center partnered with the March of Dimes to offer NICU Family SupportSM to provide information and comfort to families during their baby’s intensive care nursery stay, in their transition to home and in the event of a newborn death. This support is in the form of a part-time staff person who implements the March of Dimes NICU Family Support program by complementing and enhancing existing services for families as well as identifying new ways to make the difficult ICN experience easier for families.

“As families cope with and grow from their intensive care nursery experience, we know that our collaborative efforts have supported them through an extremely difficult time in their lives,” said New Hampshire March of Dimes State Director Karen Dennis. “The March of Dimes is proud to provide NICU Family SupportSM to families at CHaD and we thank the staff for their continued support and partnership.”

Dr. William Edwards, the ICN’s Medical Director commented on the nursery’s strong commitment to family-centered care and their appreciation for the partnership with March of Dimes. “Our ICN has had a strong Parent Advisory Council for 10 years and the funding we have received through the March of Dimes and CHaD philanthropy has made this position possible and our support of families that much stronger.”

In the first eight months, the March of Dimes NICU Family Support program at CHaD has touched many families with a child in the ICN through distribution of information, Parent Hour education classes for families, as well as providing individual support of families in the Intensive Care Nursery.

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During Parent Hours, parents and families have an opportunity to meet other moms and dads and participate in activities such as making scrapbooks which document their often long and difficult journey in the intensive care nursery. They also learn from guest speakers who provide information about caring for a baby in the ICN, infant nutrition and safety, and other important topics.

As part of the NICU Family Support Program, CHaD’s ICN staff participated in Children’s Medical Venture’s Preemie for a Day® to advance their professional skills and family-centered approach. “Preemie for a Day” is an interactive, experiential multi-sensory training program that includes mirroring part of an infant’s experience in a NICU.

The March of Dimes also sponsored attendance for several of CHaD’s ICN staff at the 22nd Annual Graven’s Conference on the Physical and Developmental Environment of the High Risk Infant.

As part of their mission to help give every baby a healthy start, the March of Dimes has made medical and technological advances that have saved millions of babies’ lives and health. The NICU Family Support project is now established in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. More than 45,000 families will have access to the information and support activities offered through March of Dimes NICU Family Support annually.

CHaD thanks Jane’s Trust for its philanthropic support as well as supporters and the March of Dimes for making participation in this program possible. As New Hampshire’s only children’s hospital, the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth provides an extended system of care that offers advanced pediatric services. CHaD is committed to providing outstanding, compassionate care for children and their families. Our mission is to provide each child the best care, in the right place, at the right time, every time. Our physician expertise provides primary, specialty, and tertiary care to the children of New Hampshire, Vermont, and beyond. We see children for everything from well-care visits to the most complex childhood diseases.

The March of Dimes gratefully acknowledges its NICU Family Support® national sponsors and supporters including; Children’s Medical Ventures, Farmers, MedImmune, Inc. and Scholastic. Additional support is provided by Dey, L.P.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. To support the Upper Valley March for Babies event as well as find information about other fundraising events in New Hampshire that provide funds to improve birth outcomes go to: www.marchofdimes.com/newhampshire. There you can click on March for Babies to register a team, raise money and attend the Upper Valley event on June 6, 2009 at CHaD. For additional information youinformation you may also call the NH Chapter office at 1-800-287-0317.

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