Care showered on families of premature babies

On any given day, dozens of families could wind up in special maternity units, delivering babies weeks or months early.

Their plans for finishing up the nursery, preparing for child care or attending their own baby showers fall by the wayside as they wait for news that their premature babies are well enough to go home.

Enter HUG, or Help U Grow, an offshoot of Hillsborough County's Healthy Start Coalition, a program with coordinators on site at each regional neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, to help those families get off on the right foot.

This month, HUG hosted four special baby showers for families whose babies have been born in NICUs. The most recent shower was Tuesday in Brandon.

"I think it's great they're giving out all this information. I've even found out about a parenting class," said Charleston Shaw, of Lakeland, whose baby girl, Cali, recently was born at 2.9 pounds in Brandon Regional Hospital's NICU. He walked away from the shower with several gifts for the baby, including a set of bottles and a baby book.

Nurse Cindy Collins help set up the NICU at Brandon Regional 23 years ago, not knowing her own newborn would need care there just two years later.

It was then she became aware of the numerous perils that can befall families trying to traverse the maze of needs and services that come along with the birth of a premature baby.

She started HUG and coordinates the special showers, sponsored by Healthy Start, March of Dimes and the parent group Mommies Little Miracles. Others work with her, handing out literature on where families can find services, many of which are free.

"Families of preemies need a lot of family support and community support because it's such a roller coaster of emotions they are feeling," said Sara Tindale, the family resource coordinator for HUG at Brandon.

Families learn parenting skills, are directed to services for developmental issues or mental health issues, and can find help with transportation or care giving.

The showers are held during November because it is designated as Prematurity Awareness Month by the March of Dimes

"Emotionally, you're isolated and then when you go home you become even more isolated," Collins said. HUG provides services to counteract that, she said.

HUG is funded by Healthy Start and the Children's Board of Hillsborough County.