This topical guide on parents and young siblings of premature infants will introduce you to important books, videos, and information resources available from the EI Clearinghouse.
Books
Contact us via online form or by phone (1-877-275-3227) to request a resource listed below (or ask your local public librarian).
Breastfeeding the Infant with Special Needs
Donna Dowling
March of Dimes, 2007
Techniques for breastfeeding premature infants and infants with special needs and medical needs are discussed.
WS 125 .D747b 2007 61351613
Bringing Your Baby Home
March of Dimes, 2011
This booklet provides tips to parents who are preparing to bring their infants home from the NICU.
WS 410 .M3151 2011 798966543
Evan Early
Rebecca Hogue Wojahn & Ned Gannon (illus.)
Woodbine House, 2006
A young girl describes her excitement of having a new brother, but she is very frustrated that her parents have to spend a lot of time with him in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
PZ 7 .W847ev 2006 63243501
Hold Your Premie: A Workbook on Skin-to-Skin Contact for Parents of Premature Babies
Jill Bergman & Nils Bergman
New Voices, 2010
This book provides an overview of kangaroo care, or skin-to-skin contact between an infant and a parent, including how to do it and the benefits for the infant and the parents.
WS 105.5 C3 2010 741522795
My Sister Is a Preemie
Diana M. Amadeo
Zonderkidz, 2005
A young girl visits her baby sister in the NICU and learns how the doctors and nurses take care of her sister.
PZ 7 .A498 my 2005 54501648
Newborn Intensive Care: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Jeanette Zaichkin (Ed.)
American Academy of Pediatrics, 2010
This comprehensive book contains information about taking care of a premature infant, including feeding, medical complications, life at home, and much more.
WS 421 .N534 2010 649439459
Preemie Parents: 26 Ways to Grow With Your Premature Baby
Tami C. Gaines
Sellers, 2011
The author, a mother of twins who were born prematurely, shares her experiences to guide parents through their baby’s time in the NICU.
WS 410 .G35 2011 662400097
Preemie Parents: Recovering from Baby’s Premature Birth
Lisa McDermott-Perez
Praeger, 2007
This book includes a variety of information about premature infants, including how to manage family difficulties, navigating the journey in the NICU, and life after the baby comes home from the hospital.
WS 410 .M4599 2007 71322163
Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies
Dana Wechsler Linden, Emma Trenti Paroli, and Mia Wechsler Doron
Pocket Books, 2010
Written by a neonatologist and two mothers of premature infants, this book includes a variety of information about preemies, from pregnancy to early childhood. It also includes growth charts and extra resources related to premature infants.
WS 410 .L744 2010 1 472230864
Supporting Siblings & Their Families During Intensive Baby Care
Linda Rector
Paul H. Brookes, 2007
Siblings have an important role in families with infants in the NICU. This book includes developmentally appropriate suggestions of how to communicate with siblings of all ages about a premature baby.
WS 105.5 F2 R311 2007 76481399
The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies—from Birth Through the Toddler Years and Beyond
Jennifer Gunter
Da Capo Press, 2010
The author, an OB/GYN, shares her medical expertise and experiences as a mother of triplets who were born premature. This book includes information about the NICU as well as life at home with a premature infant.
WS 410 G9578 2010 435418368
Videos
Contact us to request a resource listed below (or ask your local public librarian). Some videos may be viewed online.
Hold Your Premie: A Parents’ Guide to the Care of Preterm Babies
29-minute DVD
Geddes, 2010
With a focus on the parent being an important member of a premature infant’s care team, this DVD explains the practice of skin-to-skin contact for premature babies, or kangaroo care, and how it benefits both the parents and the infant.
WS 105.5 .B4542h 2010 785899948
Kangaroo Mother Care I & II
78-minute DVD
Geddes, 2005
This two-part DVD explains the reasoning behind skin-to-skin contact for newborn babies, or kangaroo care, and how to care for an infant using this method. Part I of this DVD is also available in Spanish.
WS 410 .B4542 2005 496867946
No Matter How Small: A Parent’s Guide to Preterm Infant Development
39-minute DVD
Vida Health, 2006
This DVD explains what parents can expect while their infant is the NICU, including understanding a premature baby’s signals and the best ways for parents to take care of their preemie.
WS 410 .N739 2006 191821923
Preemie Basics & Medical Care
29-minute DVD
InJoy, 2008
This DVD focuses on prematurity and the medical needs, problems, and equipment encountered by premature infants in the NICU.
WS 410 .Y67 2008 Vol. 1 217312279
Your Premature Baby Vol. 1: Preemie Basics & Medical Care
29 minutes
InJoy, 2008
This three-part series, available in both English and Spanish, follows preemies and their parents from their time in the NICU to when the baby goes home. Topics include an overview of the NICU environment, feeding and taking care of a preemie, and kangaroo care. Also available in Spanish.
WS 410 .Y67 2008 217312279
Your Premature Baby Vol. 2: Interacting With & Feeding Your Preemie
26 minutes
InJoy, 2008
This three-part series, available in both English and Spanish, follows preemies and their parents from their time in the NICU to when the baby goes home. Topics include an overview of the NICU environment, feeding and taking care of a preemie, and kangaroo care. Also in Spanish.
WS 410 .Y67 2008 228418532
Your Premature Baby Vol. 3: Going Home
26 minutes
InJoy, 2008
This three-part series, available in both English and Spanish, follows preemies and their parents from their time in the NICU to when the baby goes home. Topics include an overview of the NICU environment, feeding and taking care of a preemie, and kangaroo care. Also in Spanish.
WS 410 .Y67 2008 228429158
Organizations
March of Dimes
March of Dimes is a national nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. March of Dimes advocates for policies to protect mothers and babies, works to improve the health care they receive, funds research to find solutions and provides families with the knowledge and tools to have healthier pregnancies.
Graham’s Foundation
Our mission is to support, comfort, inform, and guide families who experience a premature birth. We collaborate with the healthcare community and other parents of preemies to improve the well-being of preterm babies and families.
Articles
The journal titles linked below will take you to the publisher's homepage. You can ask your local public librarian how to obtain these articles or contact us for more information.
Pediatrics for Parents. 27(1–2), 12
Developmental Care: Helping Premature Babies Thrive
Goins, Maggie. (2011)
A NICU nurse explains how the NICU operates, including professionals that typically provide care to preemies or their families, and the developmental care preemies receive.
Zero to Three, 29(4), 34–37
Early Arrival: Finding the Magic of Everyday Moments With Your Baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Parlakian, Rebecca & Lerner, Clarie. (2009)
This article provides an overview of the NICU experience, including what parents can do to support their infants and what the infant is learning from these experiences.
Web Resources
The web resources listed below provide quick and easy access to evidence-based online information.
Preemie
The American Academy of Pediatrics features information about the NICU, including how parents can be involved in the care of their baby, skin-to-skin care, and preparing to bring the baby home.
Premature baby? Understand your preemie’s special needs
The Mayo Clinic provides information about premature infants, including taking care of a premature baby in the NICU and after your baby comes home.