Volume 27
Number 5
March 4, 2016
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
`` Derek MacMath is one of several medical students who read to infants in the Babies to Books program.
READING TO INFANTS: Even at these very early stages, this exposure to language is beneficial to the language development of preterm infants. – Lori Christ, MD
INSIDE Before the Walls Come Down...............................2 Providing Support and Resources for Epilepsy Patients.......................3 Special Heartfelt Thanks...........4 Patient Safety Awareness Week Is Coming.........................4
While many believe that babies enter the world with a clean slate, so to speak, that’s not the case. Babies can actually hear – and learn – in utero, weeks before they’re born. Studies show associations between what the babies are exposed to before birth, starting from as early as five months in the pregnancy, and their intellectual development. Based on this research, soon-to-be moms are encouraged to talk, read, and, in general, communicate with their babies while pregnant. But babies born prematurely can lose this important part of their growth and, as a result, are at high risk of language delay and learning disorders. “These babies can be years behind their peers before they even start elementary school,” said Laura Rubinos, MD, a fellow in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. Now, Babies & Books, a new program in HUP’s intensive care nursery (ICN), encourages parents to read to their newborns to help them regain some of what they missed from their premature birth. “We want to get parents in the habit of reading to their babies in the ICN and hopefully continue the practice when they go home,” said Rubinos, who created the program. “Providing a stimulating environment for babies helps the baby’s intellectual development. The association is very powerful.” The program also provides a second important benefit. “When babies are very sick or premature, parents feel they can’t contribute anything to the baby’s care. The sense of helplessness is a recurring theme,” she said. “Most love the idea of reading, knowing that they can do something that will help their baby’s brain.” (continued on page 2)
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