Premature babies have better health when parents read to them

Date: 24 November 2016

Premature babies have better health when parents read to them
Consultant Neonatologist and charity trustee, Helen McElroy with Emma Poad and daughter Adalyn

An innovative new programme has been launched by Medway NHS Foundation Trust which encourages families to read to their premature babies while in neonatal intensive care to improve their cognitive functions.

Staff on The Oliver Fisher Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were inspired by research that found that premature babies who were exposed to more parent talk through reading or conversation had significantly better language and communications skills at 18 months of age.

Interestingly, the rhythmic voice of parents reduces the heart rate of premature babies to a steadier beat, giving comfort and security to newborns within their incubators. Babies have also been found to mimic the voices of their parents to a far greater extent than those of staff, illustrating the powerful connection between babies and their kin.

Reading is also known to help parents comfort their baby through voice, as many premature babies are too sensitive to hold and touch. Mother Emma Poad has been reading to her daughter, Adalyn, since she was delivered 15 weeks early by emergency caesarean section on 24 July 2016, weighing just 460 grams.

Emma explained: “Adalyn was born very prematurely and 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.”

The Trust ran a three month survey before launching the ‘Books for Babies’ programme and found that only one in every 50 families on the unit reads to their little one. The Books for Babies programme is funded by the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Trust and it is hoped that the gift of a book will encourage every parent to spend time reading to their baby while on the unit.

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.”

  • Summary:

    An innovative new programme has been launched by Medway NHS Foundation Trust which encourages families to read to their premature babies while in neonatal intensive care to improve their cognitive functions.