Hand to Hold to Host Annual National NICU Mental Health Conference

Virtual event brings together NICU professionals and parents to improve the immediate and long-term mental health of NICU families

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hand to Hold, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing early intervention mental health support for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and bereaved parents, will host its annual National NICU Mental Health Conference November 5-6, 2025.

The NICU Mental Health Conference, sponsored by Mead Johnson Nutrition, is the only conference in the U.S. that brings together both NICU parents and healthcare professionals to exchange knowledge, address critical mental health challenges, and advance advocacy efforts. Held during Prematurity Awareness Month, the conference underscores the urgency of these discussions, as premature infants frequently encounter long-term medical complications and developmental delays, while their parents are at heightened risk for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

"The unfortunate reality is that a growing number of families are impacted by the NICU each year as admission rates continue to rise," said Katrina Moline, Executive Director of Hand to Hold and a NICU-graduate parent. "Our mission with the NICU Mental Health Conference is to improve outcomes for NICU babies by providing families and NICU professionals with the education, resources, and emotional support they need to navigate complex care environments and overwhelming circumstances."

The conference will highlight leading experts and explore important topics, including health equity, burnout and self-care, trauma-informed care, and grief and loss. Keynote speakers include:

• Sheehan Fisher, PhD: Sheehan Fisher, PhD, is an Associate Professor and perinatal clinical psychologist at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine and the Associate Dean for Academic Environment and Success at The Graduate School. He conducts research on mood disorders in birthing and non-birthing parents during the perinatal period to examine the effects of psychosocial stress on parents' mood, parenting, and ultimately infant/child health outcomes. Ultimately, Dr. Fisher's goal is to optimize the health and effectiveness of the parental team to positively influence the child's health trajectory and help the family thrive.
• Neel Shah, MD, MPP, FACOG: Neel Shah, MD, MPP, FACOG, is Chief Medical Officer of Maven Clinic, the world's largest digital clinic for women's and family health, and a visiting scientist at Harvard Medical School. He oversees the design and delivery of Maven's care model, serving 20 million people globally in all phases of life. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Shah has written over 100 articles and contributed to four books. Dr. Shah has been recognized with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Humanitarian of the Year Award from the March of Dimes. He is featured in the 2023 Emmy-nominated film "Aftershock" and "The Color of Care" from the Smithsonian Channel and Executive Producer Oprah Winfrey. He serves on the boards of Neighborhood Villages and Diana Health, and resides in Cambridge, MA.

For NICU professionals, the conference will raise awareness of the impact of traumatic birth and a NICU stay on families, provide education around the importance of cultural competence in the NICU, and emphasize the need for family-centered care. NICU families will hear from experts as well as former NICU families with diverse experiences. 

Hand to Hold will announce its 2025 NICU Heroes during the conference, recognizing a NICU professional and NICU unit who have provided exemplary family-centered care. The NICU Hero Awards are proudly sponsored by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.

The conference is free for participating NICU parents, and the accessible, virtual nature of the event enables NICU professionals, as well as parents caring for medically fragile NICU babies, to participate. NICU professionals may earn continuing education credits for LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, LPC, RN, and Child Life.

To register or learn more about the conference agenda, click here.

Hand to Hold
Hand to Hold  is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) that provides early intervention mental health support, educational resources and community before, during, and after a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay. Hand to Hold provides support to parents at no cost to families and all support is designed with the emotional, physical and social needs of the NICU parent in mind. The mental health support staff is composed of NICU graduate and bereaved parents with specialized training. For more information, visit HandToHold.org.

Mead Johnson Nutrition
For 120 years, Mead Johnson Nutrition has state-of-the-art research, scientific partnerships, and commitment to the highest quality and nutritional standards to deliver meaningful innovations to boost developing minds and bodies. Our Enfamil portfolio is trusted by parents and healthcare professionals around the world to support growing families at every stage of development, including Enfamil's family of infant and toddler formulas. To explore our portfolio of tailored nutrition, www.hcp.meadjohnson.com

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Mallinckrodt is dedicated to enhancing lives by providing therapeutics that strive to address unmet patient needs, and is a world-class manufacturer of high-quality generics, sterile injectables, and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Media Contacts: The Monument Group
Lauren Brown
[email protected]
(512) 344-2601

SOURCE Hand to Hold