There is nothing like an international conference to open up you mind, make you think, refresh, and rejuvenate your soul.  (*80+ degree weather, sunshine, Corona’s by the water, and kvetching with other bloggers (1), bloggers (2), bloggers (3), also helps).  As mentioned earlier, I am talking about the recent Lamaze conference which I had the pleasure of attending.  I initially felt like a fish out of water, because I believe I was only one or two NICU nurses who attended.   But these insecurities rapidly disappeared as the women I met showed much interest and enthusiasm in improving the lives of babies, as well as mothers.

I have made it no secret that I have been flamed for writing on very emotional and controversial topics of resuscitating infants at the edge of viability.  I have done a lot of soul searching on this issue, and how my words may have effected those who read them.  I can write words, but I do not have to live the words I write.  It is the parents of NICU babies whose opinions I care about the most.  They live the reality.  Resuscitating infants at the edge of viability, or below, is an emotional, heart wrenching discussion.  It is an important discussion.  One I do not think I should shy away from.

But there are other topics, after much consultation and input from others, I would like to focus on.  These may be simply blog posts, joint ventures, or potential future research projects.  The issues that have really got me thinking the last few days are these:

• What the hell is going on with David Letterman?  (Sorry, feel the need to lighten the mood).




• Therapeutic touch for NICU babies.  Babies in the NICU often only feel the touch of hands performing “procedures” on them.  Lifesaving or otherwise, this touch causes pain, fear and stress in these babies.  How can we change this?  Options include massage and healing touch.  Much research needs to be done on this.

• Parents of NICU babies tend to be the “forgotten” ones.    There seems to me , to be much support and outlets for moms’ who are lucky enough to deliver healthy full-term babies, and even many support groups for moms’ who have tragically suffered an infant loss.  But what about the parents who have a baby in the NICU, and have a baby who survived their NICU stay.  What kind of support do they have.  It is NOT enough to lecture these parents that they should just be thankful their baby is alive.  That is a cop out.  Much work needs to be done!

• I have heard over and over again, at the Lamaze conference and other places, of NICU nurses acting as if the babies they care for are their own.  Yes it is important to care for our patients with everything we’ve got, but at the end of the day, the baby belongs to the parents.  We need to foster this fact from day one in the NICU.  It may mean having the mom give developmentally appropriate touch to her 24 weeker hooked up to a ventilator and central lines.  It means giving those parents a sense of control over an out of control situation.  More work needs to be done!

• This is a hard one.  Communicating the long-term outcomes of NICU graduates to the general public.  And, more importantly, improving these outcomes.  I do believe there needs to be transparency in health care.  Like it or not.

Much work and thought needs to be done.  My mind and my body hurts.  Why did I not just become a locksmith as originally planned?

RR