Specialized Care for the Most Fragile Patients
Step into the lobby of Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC on any given day, and you’re liable to see blissful mothers departing with their newborn babies. What you can’t see is the extraordinary dedication of Magee staff, doctors, and volunteers to those babies who need extra nurturing and care after they enter the world.
Some babies begin their lives with an inherited addiction to prescribed or street drugs. If their conception was unplanned, their mothers may have used drugs well into pregnancy. When admitted to Magee, many drug-addicted mothers and mothers taking prescription drugs are converted to methadone because abrupt withdrawal can result in a miscarriage.
Doctors look for signs of withdrawal up to eight days after a potentially addicted baby is born. If the baby shows signs of addiction, doctors assess the severity of symptoms. Morphine is administered to some babies to assist the weaning process. Weaning can take several weeks; a timeline can’t be predicted. A baby whose mother had a low drug level doesn’t necessarily recover faster than one whose mother had a high drug level.
Staff and doctors go the extra step to create a calmer atmosphere for these babies. Some individuals donate handmade quilts, which are used to block out bright lights and keep the babies warm. When the babies get fussy, nurses and volunteers are quick to comfort them. The nursery is always kept quiet. Because of these efforts, babies’ time in the hospital has decreased from more than one month to 15 to 20 days.
“Our unit staff is very close. Everyone knows what to do without being told. Because of our constant communication and ambition, babies’ hospital stays are shorter and parents are very comforted knowing their children are being cared for,” says Patricia Maloni, RNC.
Care for these babies doesn’t end there. Dedicated volunteers known as “cuddlers” cradle and rock them in their parents’ absence to hasten their recovery. Some drug-addicted babies shake or lack muscle tone, which is often painful. The cuddlers hold the babies tight, calming them. “There’s nothing like holding a baby,” says Ilene Lesser, a longtime cuddler. “I feel at home when I come to volunteer.”
Comfort items can help babies feel safe. Recently, two dedicated volunteers recognized a need for diaper wipes, Bendeez that can be molded around a baby’s body, and WubbaNub pacifiers, which have plush animals attached to them. The volunteers reached out to Magee-Womens Foundation, which is raising funds for the items. The volunteers paid for the first two cases of WubbaNubs out of pocket and negotiated with the manufacturer to donate one case for every case purchased.
The determination of Magee volunteers and staff makes Pittsburgh’s “baby hospital” a special place for healing. Their dedication makes it possible for even the most fragile patients to leave healthy and happy.
To
learn how to make a gift for comfort items for our tiniest patients,
please contact Colleen Gaughan, director of development at 412-641-8978
or cgaughan@magee.edu.
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