Resources for Parents of Preemies

Parenting a preemie? These resources can help.

By Nina Willdorf

Families with a premature baby are immediately confronted with a host of emotional and medical issues. These resources can make a difference:

The NICU Family Support Project This pilot program started by the March of Dimes helps hospitals' neonatal intensive care units increase support for parents of preemies in the hospital, during the transition home, and in the event of newborn death. Find more about the program and prematurity in general at www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity.

March of Dimes Prematurity >>

Preemie-L (www.preemie-L.org) One of the most active parents' support groups, this online foundation is where parents of premature babies swap tips, comfort one another, and recommend products and books.

Preemie-L >>

Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies by Dana Wechsler Linden, Emma Trenti Paroli, and Mia Wechsler Doron. Personal stories and plenty of detailed medical information make this book a must-read. It also offers a handy glossary of key terms.

The Preemie Parents' Companion: The Essential Guide to Caring for Your Premature Baby in the Hospital, at Home and Through the First Year, by Susan L. Madden, William Sears M.D., and Jane E. Stewart, M.D. This comprehensive resource covers medical and psychological hurdles.

For Parents of Preemies
(www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/childrenshosp/parents_of_preemies/)
The medical staff at the University of Wisconsin's Center for Perinatal Care at Meriter Hospital in Madison offer advice on topics from common infections to navigating the NICU.

University of Wisconsin's Center for Perinatal Care >>

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.