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World Book Day: Books for Babies project at Medway Maritime Hospital encourages parents to read to premature babies

You are never too young to enjoy a good book it would seem, as a study finds reading helps soothe premature babies.

Staff at the Oliver Fisher Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Medway Maritime Hospital were inspired by research which found premature babies who were read to had better language and communication skills when they were 18 months old.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust ran a three month survey before launching the Books for Babies project which found that only one in every 50 families read to their little one.

Consultant neonatologist, Dr Helen McElroy, with Emma and Adalyn
Consultant neonatologist, Dr Helen McElroy, with Emma and Adalyn

The programme is funded by the Oliver Fisher Trust and will give parents a book to encourage them to spend time reading to their baby.

Parents’ rhythmic voices reduces babies’ heartbeats to a steadier beat, giving comfort and security to newborns in incubators. Babies have also been found to mimic their parents’ voices.

Reading also helps to comfort distressed newborns as many premature babies are too sensitive to hold and touch.

Mum Emma Poad started reading to her daughter, Adalyn, when she was delivered 15 weeks early by emergency caesarean section on July 24 last year, weighing just 1.01lb.

Emma Poad reading to baby Adalyn
Emma Poad reading to baby Adalyn

She said: “Adalyn needed stomach, heart and eye surgery. She really didn’t like to be touched when she was born so reading to her has allowed me and the family to comfort and communicate with her. I could see her responding to my voice when I would become animated when reading and I could see her fixing her gaze on the pictures. I’m still reading to Adalyn every day and will continue to do so when she’s well enough to come home.”

Dr Helen McElroy, consultant neonatologist and charity trustee, said: “We are encouraging families to read to their babies as much as possible on the neonatal intensive care unit with the aim that reading continues within the family home.

“We hope that the Books for Babies programme will become a normal part of care in neonatal intensive care units across the country.”

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