Reading your baby – Infant body language and supporting development in Neonatal Intensive Care
We caught up Midwife, Shevonne Hodson-Walker, our Family Integrated and Developmental Care Lead at our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; about understanding your baby’s body language, so that you can better care for your baby and support their development.
Shevonne shares her tips about ‘reading your baby’:
What are the key tell-tale signs that a baby is in distress?
“Premature babies have many unique ways of telling us that they are distressed. Yawning, sneezing, hiccupping, spraying their hands like a stop sign and facial grimaces are just a few tell-tale signs. These might seem like normal baby behaviours, but they are signs that a premature baby is vulnerable and overwhelmed. Premature babies especially can get overwhelmed if they face a lot of stimulation, bright lights, and noise. Watching out for these signs helps us to tune into their needs and there are many ways we can support them.”
Are there signs to indicate that our baby is sleepy or hungry?
“Yes, however premature babies have a different sleeping pattern to babies who are born at term. They do spend a lot of time asleep, however their sleep cycles are shorter, and they tend to spend time in a light, drowsy sleep state, this means that they are easily disturbed by what is going on around them. Their breathing rate and facial expressions are some of the subtle signs to indicate which sleep state they are in. Sleep is especially important for a premature baby as it helps with illness recovery and brain growth, thus it is important to ensure we keep an environment that is quiet, and light kept to a minimum.
“In the early days it is standard for premature babies to be fed by a nasogastric tube and then they slowly transition to oral feeds. This is because functional suck, swallow, breathing patterns do not come in until around 34 weeks. To help the baby to associate sucking and feeling full we often give the baby a dummy. This is called non-nutritive sucking.
“Babies can show several signs they are hungry these are stirring, mouth opening, turning their head from side to side and rooting. As the baby gets older, they will show more of these signs that show a readiness to take oral feeds.”
What are the signs of a happy and comfortable baby?
“A premature baby that is happy and comfortable will show lots of positive signs such as settled oxygen and breathing levels, they will have a nice and flexed position with support from the nest and boundaries around them, they may be sucking on their hands, and they may have periods of alertness that allows them to lovingly gaze at their parents.”
Why is skin-to-skin contact so important?
“Where do I start! Skin to skin has loads of benefits, so much so there is a World Kangaroo Care celebration day that is held on the 15th May every year. The benefits include improved vital signs, maintaining body temperature, improved weight gain, increased milk supply, improved sleep, supporting attachment and bonding, decreased pain and infection, and supporting brain growth.”
How can parents strengthen their bonds with their baby to reduce distress?
“Watching and observing their baby is a wonderful way to get to know their babies likes and dislikes, as well as getting involved in their baby's care. Understandably, this can be nerve racking to start off with, particularly if their baby is born early. The nursing staff, as well as a number of trained professionals support parents to make these early connections with their baby. Professionals include the Family integrated care and developmental care nurse, neurodevelopmental physiotherapist, occupational and speech and language therapist.”
Why is care like this important at NICU?
“The care that is being described is referred to as developmental care. Developmental care is a model of that is an important part of a premature baby's care in NICU as it facilitates the stabilisation, recovery and development of babies and their family. A premature baby’s brain is going through a critical period of development, so it is important to provide an environment that support this period. There is also emerging evidence of the long term physical and mental health outcome of the babies we care for.
“Recognising baby’s behaviour can support parents and staff to tailor care to meet the baby’s needs. Creating this nurturing environment supports parents' bond with their baby and they will become experts in their baby’s care. This will give the baby and their family the best possible start in life.”