The Volunteers Of Hugs For Babies
Hug volunteers were created to especially help children born to drug addicted mothers. These women need to detoxify after giving birth. Even children born to these women suffer from the terrible symptoms of withdrawal when being born.
There are well known benefits that babies receive with skin-to-skin contact. Unfortunately, not all babies can have this motherly embrace when they are born. In some situations this happens due to force majeure, such as the death of the mother or other impediments. Unfortunately, it also happens that some babies are abandoned in hospitals or other places.
It is assumed that only mothers are able to spend a long time with the baby in their arms. Despite this, a club of volunteers has been created in the United States who offer themselves as donors of hugs and cuddles. They are a group of people who recognize the importance of human warmth for babies. For this they have organized themselves to offer the affection and hugs that the little ones lack.
Infants’ Needs of Drug Addicted Mothers
Skin-to-skin contact is a newborn’s first necessity, but in the case of drug addicted mothers, this contact is even more important. These are children who come into the world in very difficult conditions. Their mothers are unable to care for them as they deserve.
The main cause of harm to these babies is what specialists refer to as neonatal abstinence. This is because, during gestation, they receive toxic substances every day, developing adverse effects as a product of withdrawal.
In the United States, 20 in every thousand babies are born who suffer from neonatal abstinence. This usually happens when both parents have some kind of addiction. Given this, it is clear that the little ones are born into a family already full of problems. It is precisely for this reason that many of them are not received with all the affection and attention they deserve.
The symptoms that children with this condition suffer from are the following:
- uncontrollable crying
- convulsions
- He retched
- irritability
- tremor
- rapid breathing
These crises caused by neonatal withdrawal can be treated in various ways. But of all, the most effective way is affection. These children need hugs and cuddles more than any other child, even if there is not always someone willing to do it.
Promoters of hugs
Mary Ann Malloy, head of the UCI area of the infirmary at the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, assures that the best medicine for the children of addicted mothers is skin-to-skin contact. From this unit a volunteer club was promoted to hug and pamper babies with this need.
The idea was born from the belief of the medical staff that hugs help these children to recover. Babies improve because with the cuddles and hugs of the volunteers they feel safe and loved. It is possible that during gestation they did not perceive affection from their mothers. But volunteers, on some occasions, also comfort and reassure drug-addicted women in childbirth.
Even in cases where the mother cannot pick up her child, these volunteers do a noble job. Since this project started, the number of drugs the children needed has been reduced. The time they spend in intensive care after birth has also decreased.
Who are the volunteers of the hugs?
The hospital medical team has allowed this activity to take place for some time. As we know, not all healthcare professionals have the time to devote to hugging babies who need it. This is why the idea was born of training volunteers for hugs to entrust this work to.
Participants in the program are trained in four-hour courses. In these cases, training is very important because the attention these little ones need is special.
After training, the hug volunteers can take three-hour shifts. It is advisable to disconnect at some point. This service is always carried out in the presence and under the supervision of medical personnel.
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