International read-a-thon brings local leaders to Children’s & Women’s Hospital
Since the read-a-thon started, parents and caregivers have been encouraged to read to their premature and sick infants since reading to babies is an important part of early development.
By Casandra Andrews
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To help raise awareness about the importance of reading to children, local government, community, and university leaders — including University of South Alabama President Jo Bonner — recently participated in an international read-a-thon in the level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
Other high-profile readers have included Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis, USA Executive Vice President and Provost Andi Kent, Ph.D., and members of the Junior League of Mobile. While the read-a-thon runs through Sept. 24, more than 50 sessions had been logged earlier this week, with more than 150 books donated so far by individuals, schools, and area businesses.
Since the read-a-thon started, parents and caregivers also have been encouraged to read to their premature and sick infants because reading to babies is an important part of early development. Hearing stories and language helps support brain development while also creating opportunities for parents and caregivers to bond with their babies.
Mobile’s mayor wrote about his visit to the NICU in a nightly email to residents on Sept. 21, thanking hospital leaders for the invite: “Some of the most meaningful moments in life are the ones where we can give a little bit of ourselves to someone else,” he wrote. “Having the opportunity to read to two babies in the NICU was incredibly special, and I’m thankful for the honor. It’s truly never too early to introduce a child to a book.”
The hospital, part of USA's academic health system, has the only level III neonatal intensive care unit in the region, a 98-bed space where extremely premature and sick infants — some as young as 22 weeks' gestation — are born and cared for by highly skilled physicians and other providers.
About 1,000 babies each year “graduate” from the NICU, which has some of the best outcomes in the nation when it comes to the quality of life of those born there. Some infants can stay in the NICU for six months or longer, depending on the level of care they require.
