The importance of reading to children has long been accepted as an essential practice for early literacy and language development. However, reading to newborn babies – especially those being treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – is something that many people do not know is just as important and beneficial for both baby and their family. Humber River Hospital (Humber) is seeking to increase awareness of this, through its Books for Babies program.
The initiative began as a two-week NICU Readathon organized by Babies With Books, a teen-led organization dedicated to promoting reading and improved healthcare for fragile babies receiving intensive care. The yearly September event saw over 100 NICUs participate in 2021, providing a free book to every family who had a child or children requiring care in their NICU during the two-week period. Humber was one of the few Canadian hospitals that participated. The Readathon intends to provide a meaningful gift to families experiencing difficult circumstances, while also encouraging them to read to their babies for bonding and developmental benefits. The impactful initiative has now evolved into a year-round program at Humber, where every family with a baby in the NICU is gifted a book.
Dr. Khalid Almajid is a General Pediatrician at Humber who advocates for the importance of forming strong reading habits for families from an early age. "Having babies and families who are staying in the NICU for a prolonged period is an opportune time to start introducing healthy learning and literacy habits, since the added support of nurses and health care workers is present," comments Dr. Almajid. "It also helps with bonding between parents and their baby in a stressful situation." Dr. Almajid adds that this practice is aligned to recommendations from the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPC), whose statement on early literacy in the healthcare environment emphasizes the positive affect it has on family, relational, and social-emotional health.
Babies in the NICU face a myriad of complicating factors that add barriers to their development. Medical issues in combination with being in an abnormal environment, and receiving less family interaction due to care requirements, all contribute to the added risk of poor outcomes for the baby. This can include literacy and language delays and impacts on brain function. Socioeconomic factors also often play a role in overall family well-being and can be exacerbated by the financial implications of caring for a child in the NICU and the stress of life changes it may demand. This experience can negatively influence family bonding such as that fostered by reading. According to the CPC, the impact of low literacy is "associated with chronic illness, low physical and mental health status, and high rates of acute health service use." Simply put, reading in the NICU is one of the most impactful ways to help a baby in the long-term.
The impact of Books for Babies extends beyond literacy development. Humber also provides care to a catchment area in Toronto that is highly diverse, serving a community that has high rates of ethnic, social, economic, and health disparities. This includes single-income families, and many with cultural and language barriers that can make accessing health services challenging. For many families in the NICU, their child's first book is the one given to them by Humber. By using a recommended list of books from Humber's Occupational Therapy team, the hospital ensures they are suitable for a range of family situations and respect the diverse backgrounds of its patients.
Adapting the Readathon event to an established program in the NICU reflects Humber's ongoing commitment to patient- and family-centred care. Parents in the NICU want to be able to actively contribute to improving their child's health and know they have the power to help. Receiving a book goes a long way to encourage families by involving them in their child's care and reinforcing the important role they plan in supporting the well-being of their baby.
Through the program, Humber's NICU team is enabled to do everything possible to help improve the health and long-term social and economic outcomes of the child. Humber hopes to encourage other hospitals to explore implementing a similar program in their NICUs by sharing the benefits of reading and supporting patients in this way. It is simple in execution, profound in impact, and really does prove that lives can be changed one story at a time.