Developmental Care

Developmental Care is a way to help your premature baby develop as normally as possible during their stay in the NICU. It's care that gives special attention to the unique needs of newborns and their high sensitivity to surroundings.

Premature babies are different than full term infants in many ways. Because the nervous systems of premature babies are not as mature as those of full term babies, they will respond differently than full term babies. They need comfortable and relaxing environments where they are protected from harsh elements of light and noise, a space where interruptions and medical interventions are minimized and done only when necessary. Twins need to stay together — and they do with our co-bedding. We try to stay in tune with your baby’s signals, handling each infant with gentleness.

The goals in Developmental Care are:

• promoting increased self-regulation
• decreasing overall stimulation
• supporting and enhancing mutually satisfying parent-infant interactions

More about how Developmental Care lessens stress for babies

There can be alot of noise in an NICU. A lot of equipment is in use, many people may be in the NICU at one time, and the lighting is often bright. The baby may be disturbed many times during the day, which disrupts sleep patterns. Developmental Care, as practiced in our NICU, makes the environment less stressful for the baby by:

• Reducing the amount of noise. You will notice that we use covers on the isolettes to provide a darker environment for the baby, and we keep lighting low at the bedsides when no cares are in progress.
• Reducing the amount of light. Since loud noises may be disturbing to the baby, we reduce sound levels by talking quietly and closing doors and portholes gently. We encourage parents to comfort their infants by reading stories to them or by making tapes of themselves talking softly, if they wish.

• Providing support for the baby’s position. You may notice a “nest” around your baby. These boundaries help them feel more secure, and small babies maintain better oxygen levels and temperatures by lying on their tummies or sides than on their backs. (However, when your baby goes home, he/she should be put on their tummy only when awake, and not for sleeping.)
• Lessening the number of times the baby is disturbed. To make handling less stressful to the premature infant, when positioning infants we provide support to the arms and legs to keep them flexed. We also keep other stimulation to a minimum so as not to overwhelm the baby.

We encourage parents to touch their baby as soon as possible. Keep in mind that a firm, steady touch is more likely to calm a baby than a light, feathery touch. As with everything to do with preemies, how the preemie is touched, and how often, needs to be based on his/her response. The nurses can help you to determine what signs your baby may show when he/she is over-stimulated. 

As your baby grows, we will encourage you to come in and help with temperature taking, diapering, feeding, and bathing. The nurses will help you become comfortable in providing care to your infant.