This month is devoted to Preemie Awarness. PuddinPie's prematurity changed how we viewed many things. One gift he has given us is the ability to know, on some level, what to say and do for people who have a baby in the hospital.
People can sometimes say hurtful things to parents of babies in the NICU. This article has some helpful advice on what to, or not to, say: 10 Things Not to Say to Parents of Preemies
I really, really loved this article from Inspire.The article is the results of a survey given to members of the preemie support community, Inspire. They asked the people (mostly mothers) about the impact insentive comments had on them. Overwhelmingly, the mothers reported that the comments increased their feelings of lonliness and isolation. They people giving the survey noted that there is a need for increased awareness and education about prematuity and the long term effects.
I especially liked the comment addressing the need for increased awareness in parents, medical personnel and the general public about PTSD and the NICU. Slightly more than 40 per cent of the parents reported PTSD like symptoms after the NICU experience. They also meantioned that the NICU does not end when the baby comes home, something which is often not acknowledged by friends and family.
Check them out and pass them on! Increase the knowledge about prematurity and how it affects the entire family for years to come.
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