Posted on Apr 28, 2021 in
MEDICAL FOCUS
A unique program at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is helping premature or critically ill newborns create healthy bonds with their mothers – while still in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
In the first few days or weeks of life, babies in the NICU are separated physically from their mothers while nursing staff provides round-the-clock care. The Heart to Heart program uses small pieces of fabric, sewn in the shape of a heart, to transfer the mother’s scent to the baby’s crib or isolette for bonding.
It works like this: Staff at the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land give moms the fabric hearts that can be placed in their bras or under their clothing, along with a poem that explains the program. After a couple of hours, the cloth heart has absorbed mom’s scent and is placed with the baby to provide comfort.
Newborn babies in the NICU comforted by the isolettes with their mothers’ scent.
“Babies have an acute sense of smell that is naturally designed to enable them to recognize their mother, even before their eyesight is fully developed,” said Donna Timmer, a nurse and lactation specialist in the NICU at the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land, who initiated the program. “When babies are separated in the NICU, they undergo a lot of stress that results in increased crying and elevated vital signs. The hearts soothe them and help them bond with their mother even if mom can’t be there beside them. At the same time, mom’s scent also helps stabilize baby’s heart rate, blood sugar and respirations, so there are medical benefits as well as emotional.”
Timmer learned about the program from Rush Medical Center in Chicago, and she was impressed with the evidence-based results they achieved. She introduced Heart to Heart at Houston Methodist Sugar Land on Valentine’s Day 2019, after enlisting the help of her neighbors and coworkers to sew hearts.
“Moms with babies in the NICU go through a very emotional experience,” Timmer said. “They are excited about their newborns, but they also feel emotionally separated from them because of the physical distance. The Heart to Heart program is a proven way to help them – and their babies – at the same time.”
In fact, the scent effect works both ways. Moms can use the hearts from the baby’s isolette to help stimulate milk flow for pumping.
“Partners can participate, too,” said Timmer. “We’ve had several dads who have been part of the program.”
Not surprisingly, the response to Heart to Heart has been heartfelt by new parents and the community. Over the past two years, volunteers have donated over 1,200 flannel hearts.
“Most moms just say they are happy to have something that helps them feel closer to their baby,” said Timmer. “Heart to Heart helps babies adapt but it also helps moms feel more involved with their child’s care during those first few days. They just love it.”
To learn more about Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land Hospital, visit houstonmethodist.org/childbirth-sl.
