Hand to Hold helps NICU Heroes soar

AUSTIN, Texas, June 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A new podcast from Hand to Hold features in-depth conversations about mental health challenges facing parents of premature and medically fragile infants and those who care for them. Now on iTunes and at Hand to Hold, NICU Heroes offers discussions with doctors, therapists and families to help NICU professionals recognize post-partum depression, PTSD and anxiety; foster infant-child bonding; and prevent stress and burnout in neonatal professionals. Each episode provides one hour of continuing education.

Hosted by Kelli Kelley, founder of Hand to Hold and a parent of two premature infants, NICU Heroes brings together voices of medical professionals, social workers, bereaved parents and others who understand the importance of psychosocial support for NICU families. In the first episode, Kelley speaks about her own NICU experience when her son was born at 24 weeks and how she experienced anticipatory grief, PTSD and insecure infant-mother attachment.

"The mental health of families is as important as the physical health of babies," explains Kelley. "We want to support all the unsung heroes of neonatal intensive care with a series of conversations designed especially for them. NICU Heroes puts all the expertise and experience of leaders in this area in one convenient resource for NICU nurses and healthcare professionals."

NICU Heroes guests and topics include:

• Dr. Lorraine Dickey on communication barriers between NICU staff and patient families;
• Dr. Sue Hall on why the mental health of families is as important as the physical health of babies;
• Therapists Jasmine LeCoursiere and Kara Wahlin about the importance of the child/parent bond and the value of practices such as comfort touch, kangaroo care and eye contact;
• Natalie Baerwaldt on modeling motherhood and showing compassion to drug-addicted mothers;
• Adam Busby of TLC's Outdaughtered, discussing his own depression, anxiety, and PTSD after birth of quintuplets;
• Darlene Barkman of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on the role of family consultants in hospitals; and parent of triplets Keira Sorrells, founder of Preemie Parent Alliance; and
• NICU nurses Rhonda Reed and Jennifer Miller on technology and stress and strategies for alleviating burnout symptoms in nurses.

Available at www.handtohold.org, Apple Podcasts and soon on Stitcher and Spotify, NICU Heroes is sponsored in part by Huggies and produced by Hand to Hold, which is solely responsible for its content. 

Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit that helps families before, during, and after NICU stays and infant loss by providing resources for hospitals and families including in-hospital programs, articles and blogs, social networks, and trained peer mentors. Hand to Hold received the 2012 Becky Hatfield Family Support Award, given by the National Perinatal Association. In 2015, Hand to Hold was ranked as one of the top 10 resources for NICU parents by About.com. 

SOURCE Hand to Hold