And it’s hoped this special experience will see them go on to be avid readers – with a little help from mum and dad.
Author and illustrator Hannah Graham called in at the neonatal unit at The James Cook University Hospital.
There she shared her new book Looking Through the Plastic with families and staff, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust (NLT) which has been working with the hospital since 2013.
The picture book explores the experience of welcoming a premature baby into the family and is intended to provide comfort and support to families experiencing premature birth.
During her visit, Hannah read her book to parents and staff, and produced on-the-spot caricatures in pen and ink and watercolours of many of those present.
The benefits of reading
She said: “Reading is such a great way for families to bond, and that can be especially important in difficult situations like a hospital stay where parents may not be able touch or hold their baby.
“It helps to develop structure and routine, and can be a welcome distraction from the inevitable stresses of a neonatal experience.
“Looking Through the Plastic is based on my own experience, and I really hope it brings comfort and enjoyment to everyone who reads it.”
The National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough is donating 100 copies of Looking Through the Plastic to families staying at the NICU.
About the National Literacy Trust
Over the last decade, the NLT has created packs of books, activities and information for parents of premature babies to create lasting memories with their children, empowering them and other family members with the confidence to read aloud to their babies, no matter the environment around them.
The approach has since become a model for other neonatal units across the UK, helping parents to bond with their babies through books and songs within controlled, clinical, hospital settings.
Allison Potter, Manager of the National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough, says: “We have worked with the neonatal team at James Cook for over ten years now and seen the powerful impact of supporting families to share books and stories first-hand.
“Reading together can be a great way for parents and newborns to bond and develop a routine during an often scary and unsettling time.
“By gifting 100 copies of Hannah Graham’s Looking Through the Plastic to families in the neonatal unit, we hope to provide some comfort during their time in hospital and help them to feel less alone.”
Neonatal nurse consultant Lynne Paterson added: “We were delighted when Helen and Allison asked if they could launch Hannah’s book on the neonatal unit at The James Cook University Hospital.
“Looking Through the Plastic is a book that fills a gap for siblings of children who are on the neonatal unit and does several things.
“It enables them to read to their new baby brother or sister so they can be involved, while also supporting the physiological benefits that reading to babies brings.
This includes making sure babies are calm, reduces the stress they feel while they are on the unit and helps with bonding and learning.
“Each of our families were given a copy of the book.
“This will support them, and any other children they have, by explaining what a neonatal journey feels like to anyone not familiar to our environment.
“We would like to thank Hannah and the National Literacy Trust for their support.”