| During every election- national, city, or local- you see candidates holding or kissing babies. Why? Because it pulls at the heart strings and portrays the image that these candidates are caring and compassionate. Most people have compassion for children’s needs. They stand steadfast with those so caring that they would provide an environment in which our children might grow and prosper. Those precious children with little eyes staring into the camera bring to heart vulnerability and helplessness, asking you to come forth to help them succeed.
Can you imagine if these same candidates stood before the camera year after year and told you they have no interest in over a half million children born every day to every economic background, every nationality, and every state? These children have the same darling little fingers, toes, and eyes as all other children. They cry and they smile. They feel pain and they are comforted with the soft gentle voices of their caregivers. Yet many mothers and fathers, caregivers, and family members refer to these children as “it” because they do not have the same appearance as a full term baby. Some medical personnel even tell parents and caregivers not to bother with clothing “it”. Heaven forbid “it” does not survive, because then “it” is wrapped in only a blanket, and “it” is buried.
“It” might have been you, or maybe you know of an “it”. Maybe your neighbor’s child was an “it” years ago. Albert Einstein was an “it”. The lucky ones walk among us and we cannot see the pain and suffering they went through and how dehumanizing the first months of their lives were.
“It” is a baby born just too soon. These babies that are born as small as 10 ounces struggle every minute of every day to survive. Can you imagine your child lying in a hospital bed with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (also referred to as Chronic Lung Disease), intravenous tubing inserted in his ankle or head because his hand or arm veins have collasped, tubing supplying the necessary oxygen to her lungs, and nasogastric tubing that provides nutrients directly to his stomach because he simply cannot suckle? Monitors with lead wires are draped everywhere around his tiny body. Each and every device is needed just to sustain his life.
Imagine if it were was your ten year old lying in that hospital bed. Would you call him “it” because he looked differently? Would you call him “it” because he had medical problems? Would you call him “it” because he could not do things that other children were doing? Would you not bother to dress him because he will just outgrow his clothes soon anyway? And heaven forbid, your precious child did not survive. Would you just wrap him in a blanket for burial. Perhaps you wouldn’t, but this is how preemies are treated every day.
Manufactures continue to over look the needs of preemies. Maybe there is not enough money to be made in targeting such a niched market. Medical personnel perpetuate this problem by telling parents to not bother with clothing for these babies because they will grow into newborn size sooner or later. They force newborn-sized nipples into their tiny mouths, reminding parents that the children cannot go home until they can suckle. Can you placed a golf ball into your mouth and suckle it? Preemie diapers made by a certain manufacturer, and used extensively in hospitals, are so big that they can go up to the infants’ armpits. Can you imagine the elastic of your underwear rubbing all day under your arm, let alone how funny you would look? We all have to endure the skimpy gown with our backsides flapping in the wind when we go to the hospital but we are at least given the dignity of a wrap. Most preemies are not even afforded the luxury of a simple shirt.
Medical personnel who tirelessly strive to these keep these preemies alive are filled with compassion. Every day is a challenge dealing with the ups and downs of the progress as these preemies strive to survive. They see the anguish on the parents face. As they must take additional classes to keep their skills in neonatology up to date, they also need educated on the benefits of properly fitted clothing, smaller bottle nipples, and devices.
Clothing preemies serves many purposes. The most important: clothing provides dignity to a life. It serves to show that these babies are human beings worthy of names and places in our lives. Proper clothing also helps to regulate the temperature of babies. All hospitals place little warming caps on their heads as 90% of body heat is lost through their heads. Donning even simple shirts provides comfort to the parents because premature children do not have the same look as fully developed infants. The heads of premature babies appear larger then their bodies and their skin is so rice paper thin you can see their blood vessels and veins.
With 1 in 6 babies born prematurely every year, it is time we look inside ourselves and question why we would treat another human being so differently just because she came into this world sooner then expected. We need to treat these babies as we would our precious 7 pound babies. We need to provide them with special car seat inserts that comfortably cradle the smaller babies, latex nipples that fit the size and form of the preemies’ mouths, and much smaller clothing and diapers. We need to understand that even though these children are not fully developed and have needs that differ from those of the typical newborn, they are human beings; just very small human beings. And maybe the next time your hear of a calling from the March of Dimes, which supports the prevention of premature birth, you will respond graciously. Or even better should you hear of a precious baby born prematurely you will ensure she has something cuddly that fits her to wear – just like her 7 year old big brother.
About the author: Linda Dague is the owner is ANNA’S, LLC. She started ANNA’S to educate the public and new parents about the special needs of premature infants and provide an avenue to meet those needs. Visit ANNA’S web site at www.annaspreemie.com for more information on premature infants and why the ANNA’S label is becoming the number one manufacturer of preemie garments.
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