I had a mom of twins visit her babies yesterday. She went through screening to get into the hospital. She went through screening to get into the NICU. She had on her mask and washed her hands. -1-

I updated her on how her twins were doing and she fed one of the twins. Then she fed the other. And then she sat down and I rearranged equipment so she could hold both twins for the 1st time. She FaceTimed her husband who was at home because it’s 1 parent at a time right now. -2-

I sat there watching her bonding with her babies and thought about this mom who hasn’t been able to bond with her twins in over a month.

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2020/04/16/coronavirus-montgomery-county-neonatal-intensive-care-unit-covid19-policy/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

-3-

These parents are just as essential in the NICU as I am, or the neonatologist, or the respiratory therapist, or neonatal nurse practitioner.

They’re more essential.

-4-

Some NICU’s in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Virginia, Georgia, and Wisconsin are banning both parents from visiting.

No parents.

But NICU’s in the hardest hit areas in the country like New York City and New Jersey are allowing one parent. -5-

I could become positive with COVID-19 and not have a single symptom just as easily as a parent. Maybe even more so. In the hospital we social distance as much as we can, but I’m near other nurses and docs all day long. Sometimes closer than 6ft. -6-

Research has shown that integrating parents into their baby’s NICU care improves outcomes for both parents and babies. Mothers were less stressed and more confident, as well as more likely to breastfeed at discharge, babies gained weight faster and went home sooner. -7-

What will the neurodevelopmental outcomes be for these babies who have no contact from their mothers and fathers for weeks and months?

It frightens me to think about it. It will not be positive. -8-