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The ‘Cuddler Program’ was developed by the Royal Women’s Hospital in 2003 to help when mothers couldn’t be with their babies in the Special Care Nursery (SCN).
Some of the babies in SCN are receiving treatment for opiate withdrawal and can be in hospital for several weeks. Many of their mothers are addressing their drug use with ongoing treatment and counselling.
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All babies who are well enough, regardless of why they are in the nurseries, benefit from being cuddled. This is particularly true of babies who may be unsettled and withdrawing from exposure to opiates in pregnancy. The nurses are aware of this need but do not always have the time to cuddle unsettled babies.
The program involves staff from the Special Care Nursery, The Women’s Alcohol & Drug Service and volunteers recommended by the Mirabel Foundation. The volunteers are carefully selected, and have to undertake training and police checks. They attend the nursery for about 3 hours on a roster system.
All babies in the program must have parental consent, and the cuddlers are supervised by the nurse caring for the baby. |
The volunteers do not know which babies are withdrawing, but are aware that their caring is of special benefit to mothers and babies, during a significant period in their lives. The program has had very positive feedback from mothers and staff and the babies simply snuggle up!
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