Breastfeeding & Pain in Preemies
Not only is pain in preemie babies upsetting annd stressful for parents, if pain is not managed well it can have serious negative consequences, both short- and long-term. It can affect preemie babies' ongoing sensitivity to pain, stress arousal systems, and brain development. In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) pain associated with procedures such as pricking for blood tests are managed with interventions such as skin-to-skin care, swaddling, nesting, pacifiers, nonnutritive sucking, and sweet tastes. Breastfeeding, a natural, simple alternative, offers simultaneously the pain-reducing components of familiar odor, maternal skin-to-skin contact, sucking, and the ingestion of breast milk. In babies who are born full term, it has been reported that breastfeeding during painful procedures can reduce the pain response by 80 to 90% without producing any negative side effects. This approach had not been evaluated in preemie babies, in part due to a concern preemie babies may associate breastfeeding with pain, which could affect their ability to feed effectively and gain weight, as well impact mother-baby bonding.
Recently, a randomized control trial conducted by investigators from the Child & Family Research Institute at BC Children's Hospital and The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, had their results of a study investiagting this very issue in PAIN (which is a scientific journal).
This research study looked at whether breastfeeding during the painful procedure would have a negative impact on the development of breastfeeding skills, and whether preemie babies who had more mature breastfeeding behaviors would have lower pain scores and heart rates during blood collection than less experienced feeders.
The results from the study showed that for the preemie group as a whole, breastfeeding did not reduce either behavioral or physiological pain during blood collection. But importantly, there were negative affects on breastfeeding skill development either. Preemie babies who were more advanced in their ability to feed did have significantly lower behavioral pain scores.
Preemie Mom's Needed!
New Study - Get Involved! “Mother-to-Infant Attachment for Preterm Infants in the NICU: Relationship to Mother’s Intervention Participation and Infant Visitation”
About the Researcher:
I’m Jenny, mother to 4 ½-year-old son, Henry, who was born a preemie at 34 weeks. Now, I’m a doctoral student at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio investigating mother’s activities in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the mother-infant relationship that develops for premature infants during the first year of life.
Current Projects Description:
The attachment process between mothers and preterm infants on the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is not well understood. This study will investigate the relationship between mother-to-infant attachment and two factors: amount of maternal infant visitation in the NICU and amount of maternal participation in six NICU interventions (kangaroo care, infant massage, infant-directed singing, NICU preparation, parent-to-parent support, services from support persons on NICU staff). Mother’s infant visitation in the NICU was chosen to be measured based on its connection to key aspects related to mother-to-infant attachment in the literature, like proximity. Mother’s participation in specific NICU interventions were chosen to be measured based on their associations in the literature to maternal sensitivity and/or maternal distress, two factors influential in the development of mother-to-infant attachment. Descriptive data will also be collected in order to improve our knowledge of the distribution/prevalence of mother’s participation in NICU interventions and infant visitation. In this study, mothers of preterm infants will complete an online survey, the NICU & Attachment Survey, composed of three instruments. The Demographic Questionnaire will collect descriptive data, the NICU Interventions Questionnaire (NIQ) will assess participants’ participation in NICU interventions and infant visitation, and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS) will evaluate mother-to-infant attachment. Participants will be invited for participation through online forums related to parents, mothers, infants, prematurity, and NICUs. Findings from this research may result in more understanding and support for the attachment process in the NICU for preterm infants and mothers.
Study Purpose:
The attachment process between mothers and preterm infants on the NICU is not well understood. This study will examine the correlation between mother-to-infant attachment and two factors: amount of maternal infant visitation in the NICU and amount of maternal participation in six NICU interventions (kangaroo care, infant massage, infant-directed singing, NICU preparation, parent-to-parent support, and services from support persons on NICU staff). This study will also investigate the relationship between some demographic variables (age, education, and income) and the other factors examined in this study (mother-to-infant attachment, mother’s visitation of infant in the NICU, and mother’s participation in NICU interventions). Findings from this study may result in a better understanding of these relationships and provide focus for future research in this area of study.
Benefits of Research:
Those participating in this research may feel justified in knowing that this research aims to assist mothers and infants, similar to themselves and their infants, who had the unique experience of preterm birth requiring mother-infant separation for treatment in a NICU setting. Participants may feel comforted and warranted in knowing that their exploration of these topics may help researchers and mental health professionals better understand which NICU interventions are most strongly related to mother-to-infant attachment. The findings from this research study may result in a better understanding of the relationship between mother’s infant visitation in the NICU and participation in NCIU interventions and the mother-to-infant attachment that develops. The findings from this study may be used to educate professionals and parents about the importance of any of the practices found to relate to mother-to-infant attachment in the NICU for preterm infants.
Invitation to Participate:
NICU & Attachment Study for Mothers of Premature Infants
If you are the mother of a premature infant who was cared for in the NICU, I invite you to participate in my dissertation study exploring mothers’ activities in the NICU and the mother-infant attachment that develops.
Participation involves a 20 minute, anonymous, online survey for those meeting criterion.
Your exploration of these topics may help researchers and mental health professionals better understand which NICU interventions are most strongly related to mother-to-infant attachment and educate NICU professionals and parents about the importance of these practices.
Flu Shot and Preterm Birth
Having a flu shot may reduce the risk of having a preterm birth. A new study in the US reported that women who received the vaccine and gave birth during the flu season were 40% less likely to have a baby born prematurely.
Preemie Help Competition!
Calling all Preemie Parents!
Help Preemie Help, Help Preemies - by entering our preemie photo competition with the chance to win great prizes including, the preemiehelp ebook, “The Complete Guide to: Preemie Development.” and a Earlybirds Gift voucher (2 x $50) from Earlybirds
Enter as many categories you like for a chance to win. The categories are;
- 1. life in the NICU
- 2. my brave preemie
- 3. look at me now!
To enter, visit Earlybirds facebook page at www.facebook.com/earlybirds and make a comment, and then email your photo to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the title “photo competition - and the category the entry is for”
Best entries will appear on preemiehelp.com and competition winners will be announced on the 30th June. The competition winners as well as our highly recommended entries will also go toward developing a promotional video, please let us know if you would prefer not to be involved, you will still be eligible for the prizes.
Discovery! Preterm Birth Gene
Scientists from the US and Finland have discovered a gene linked to premature births. A strong association to preterm births was found in variants of the FSHR - or follicle stimulating hormone receptor - gene. Follicle stimulating hormone acts on receptors in the ovaries to encourage follicle (a sphere of cells containing an egg) development and production of the hormone oestrogen.
Oxygen Level & Preemies
Premature babies have underdeveloped lungs when they are born and so often require supplemental oxygen to survive. However, the level of oxygen needed to help preemies without causing other health problems has been a cause of much debate. A scientific publication in the New England Journal of Medicine has concluded that higher oxygen concentrations improve survival, but also note that this is not necessarily without risks.
Stem Cells for Preemies
The children's charity Action Medical Research is funding a project aimed at developing a cure for a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). ROP can lead to blindness in premature babies, putting the youngest, sickest and smallest babies most at risk, including over 3,000 babies who are born more than 12 weeks early each year in the UK.
Parent Talk: Important for Preemies
An article recently published in the journal of Pediatrics reported that preterm babies who are exposed to their parents’ voices while in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU for short) have better vocalizations at 32 and 36 weeks gestational age.
A number of studies have reported that speech and language development can be delayed in preterm babies. The environment that a preterm baby is exposed to in the NICU is vastly different than that of a fetus of the same gestational age. The NICU exposes preterm babies to high levels of noise, yet while they are in the isolette little language is audible unless it is directed into the hole of the isolette. In contrast, while a fetus is in utero, mother’s voice is a major stimulus and this occurs during the development of the auditory system.
Numerous studies have reported on the importance of early language experience for normal development of speech and language processing; the more a parent talks to their children, the faster their vocabularies grow and the higher the child’s IQ. Since early language experience and exposure is important for language development and IQ, it is important to understand the experience of very preterm babies in the NICU because their sensory experience is so different to babies born full term.
Researchers from the Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island conducted a study to determine whether preterm babies exposed to more adult language would make more vocalizations. Vocalizations include any utterances, sounds made by the baby.
The study included 36 preterm babies with birth weights of 1250 grams or less and 16-hour recordings of the preterm baby’s environment in the NICU at 32 and 36 weeks’ gestational age were carried out. The researchers found that infant vocalizations were detected as early as 32 weeks and this increased significantly up to 36 weeks, this means that preterm babies start making vocalizations at least 8 weeks earlier than the typical starting date for a newborn baby. They also found that the number of conversational turns per hour were much higher when a parent was present.
The researchers conclude that for preterm babies, exposure to parental talk was a strong predictor of vocalizations at 32 weeks and conversational turns at 32 and 36 weeks than language from other adults. This highlights the importance of parent talk for preterm babies while in the NICU.
Pacemaker to Stop Premature Birth
The latest in scientific research sees a "pacemaker" being developed to help prevent premature birth!
The "pacemaker" is composed of electrodes which deliver mild bursts of electricity to stop muscles in the womb contracting - it has recently just completed a clinical trial.
The rates of premature birth have been increasing putting more babies at risk for short and long term health difficulties so more and more research efforts are being put behind ways to help prevent preterm birth.
Wear Green for Premmies
A SEA OF GREEN IN SUPPORT OF PREMMIE BABIES
Last year saw the phenomenal success of the annual ‘Wear Green for Premmies’ day, an event hosted by the L’il Aussie Prems Foundation and organisers are looking forward to this year’s fundraiser and hope to repeat that success again on Wednesday 3rd April 2013.
Wear Green for Premmies is a day where thousands of people in Australia and around the world wear green clothing or purchase wristbands to show their support and raise awareness of the trials and hardships of premature babies and their families.
Over the past two years, members and their families have joined in the celebration with photos being posted on the event's page to show a sea of green in support of all children born too soon. Last year saw thousands of Facebook participants including eight hospitals and many businesses showing their support.
Part of the proceeds from wristband sales from the past two years of celebrations has been equally distributed to charities and causes all over the country but this year proceeds will be used to purchase items and are being donated directly to 2 Special Care Nurseries and 2 Neonatal Intensive Care Units all for the benefit of affected families. Participants don't have to attend a physical event, but are invited to sign up to the Facebook event and encourage family and friends to wear green, purchase a wristband and fundraise online directly to support the cause.
Now entering into its third year of celebrations, the event and website has grown well beyond the expectations of Ms Toivonen who started the support website in 2007 after the premature birth of her first son at 27 weeks gestation. Ms Toivonen built the online support group as a way to reach out to new parents but also for her own family to gain support from others who had travelled a similar journey.
In late 2012, a committee was formed and the website soon became a registered not-for-profit charity. The committee comprises of parents themselves who are all long time members of the online community. The website and forum has blossomed over the past six years into Australia's largest online community and forum for families with prematurely born children and sick newborns.
For photo opportunities with families in your state or further information: Nicole Powell, Vice President (Communications), L’il Aussie Prems Foundation 0412 378 793 I This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it | Wantirna, Victoria
Preemiehelp is interested in hearing from you, please feel free to email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit our Facebook page by following this link
Everything you need to know in a simple hands on guide!
A quick and comprehensive guide to understand all that is happening when you are faced with preterm birth and the NICU.
Packed with extra features like progress charts, NICU checklists and plenty of others. ‘The preemie guide’ is a must for any new parent.
Take control and know all you need to with ease
Help us help you!
Preemiehelp.com is here to provide preemie information, community and solutions to the people that need it most... you!
Preemie Help is also looking to provide a resource for any professionals that have contact with preterm babies and children in order to help them best understand the challenges that face a preemie. Get in contact to help us impact preemies.
Preemie, Premmie, or Prem?
Most babies spend between 38 and 42 weeks in their mother’s uterus. So, technically a preterm birth, preemie, premmie, or prem, is an infant who is born less than 37 completed gestational weeks.
Read More: Defining Preterm birth
New Release - Preemie Development
All in one easy to read eguide
‘The complete preemie guide to: ‘Preemie development’ is the must have guide to the NICU for new preemie parents.
With an easy-to-read layout this comprehensive guide is over 130 pages of important information about the NICU and your preemie.
Using Adobe’s .pdf format makes the guide usable across a wide range of platforms from ipad to PC, smartphone to macbook.
Packed with extra features like progress charts, NICU checklists and plenty of others. ‘The preemie guide’ is a must for any new parents.
