No baby unhugged: new program helping Nanaimo newborns thrive
NANAIMO — A new program at Nanaimo’s hospital hopes to make the stay easier for newborns and also help them develop and grow.
The new volunteer baby hugging program introduced three volunteers to their neonatal intensive care unit who will hug, hold and provide skin-to-skin contact for newborns. This includes the roughly 275 vulnerable babies a year who are cared for by the hospital.
“This hugging program is fulfilling an essential need to ensure babies are receiving the comfort and stimulation they need at a critical period in their young lives,” pediatric unit manager Shauna Karzeil said.