Marking milestones in the NICU: More than 60 infants celebrate their first Halloween
“Holidays often help parents and caregivers experience a sense of normalcy and help them connect with other families going through the same experience,” said Rachel Stanley, RN. “It can help new parents bond as they celebrate life and hope.”
By Casandra Andrews
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For families whose babies spend their early days in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), capturing moments such as donning a first Halloween costume can be especially meaningful.
At Children’s & Women’s Hospital, nurses and other healthcare team members are helping more than 60 families mark their child’s first Halloween.
Experts say commemorating such milestones can have lasting emotional benefits for parents coping with the uncertainty of a NICU stay. Celebrations promote bonding and can even help parents feel more confident in caring for their child once they leave the hospital.
“In our NICU, these celebrations often represent hope and progress,” said Rachel Stanley, RN, a nurse, and parent educator in the NICU. “When a family can dress their baby in a costume and help them pose for a photo, it’s a reminder that they are not just patients — they are growing and thriving and have overcome so much.”
The level III NICU at Children’s & Women’s Hospital has long cared for some of the region’s most fragile newborns, many born prematurely or with critical medical needs. Some families spend weeks or even months in the hospital before being able to take their baby home. On average, more than 900 infants “graduate” from the NICU each year.
“Holidays often help parents and caregivers experience a sense of normalcy and help them connect with other families going through the same experience,” Stanley said. “It can help new parents bond as they celebrate life and hope.”
During Halloween, and on other holidays, NICU nurses help coordinate photo sessions, which allow parents to capture images and memories they can cherish long after discharge. Many of the handmade costumes worn by patients are donated by local groups.
“Besides our clinical duties, our NICU team strives to create moments of joy in the middle of a medical environment whenever possible,” said Cathy McCurley, BSN, RN, RNC-ELBW, nurse manager for the neonatal intensive care unit. “Every baby deserves to be celebrated, and every family deserves to experience those firsts — no matter where they may happen.”
