Healing NAS Infants at the Totally Infants Program
In July of 2019, Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital opened their Totally Infants Program for infants with medically complex conditions upon discharge from a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. This includes premature infants with various delayed conditions including slow feeding, and infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) who were born dependent on opioids.
According to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (“Data and Statistics”, 2016), an infant is diagnosed with NAS, or approximately 80 infants are diagnosed every day around every 19 minutes in the US (“Data and Statistics”, 2020). The number of infants with drugs in their bodies has tripled in California since 2008. This number could be higher in California because testing mothers and infants for drugs in California is not mandatory (“Data and Statistics”, 2020).
Here at TK, in the past month in the Acute Infant unit, there have been several infants admitted that have been diagnosed with NAS. The drug exposure causes a physical dependence on those drugs that often concludes in withdrawals in the infant post-birth. (“Infant Massage,” 2019).
As observed by our interdisciplinary team these infants commonly present as sensory dysregulated and vacillate between low and high arousal states. They are sensitive to sensory input such as light, sound, noise and touch. Their ability to self sooth is impaired. Our therapists and doctors work together from their unique disciplinary perspectives, as a focused team, to assist these infants to progressing towards their developmental milestones.
Infant Massage Therapy has been a valuable intervention method that our team provides to these infants. Our therapists have been trained in infant massage by the International Massage Association. Infant Massage is offered daily in our Sensory Infant Gym, an inviting space that is laid out and designed to calm and soothe infants. During the therapy sessions the infants’ parent(s) or caregiver are trained by their therapist in the Infant Massage routine. Benefits of Infant Massage Therapy include:
- Increased parent/caretaker /baby bonding
- Boosted self-esteem and confidence in parenting
- Increases parents’ understanding of their baby’s development
- Relaxed baby and parents/caretakers
- Encourages restful sleep
- Relieves gas, colic, and constipation
- Develops muscle tone and coordination
- Provides sensory stimulation to increase Sensory Integration
(“Infant Massage”, 2019)
At Totally Kids, we know and understand that the bond of infant and parent(s) and caregivers is critically important for healthy development. “It’s important that both parents/caregivers take the time that they need to really focus on being a parent and showing that immense love to [their] child” ( McClure, 2017). That love will help form their child’s life for the rest of their lives (McClure, 2017).
With the help of the Totally Infants trained medical staff, rehabilitation therapies and therapeutic tools such as Infant Massage our infants are nurtured and loved giving them a powerful lifelong launch that will help them continue to reach their milestones throughout their lives long after leaving Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital . That is our hope and mission for all of our babies: to succeed within a nurturing healthy life, and to do well in society as the next generation in our community for generations to come.
References
Centers for Disease Control. (2020, August 13). Data and Statistics About Opioid Use During Pregnancy. Retrieved August 13, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/opioids/data.html
Health Foundations Family Health & Birth Center. (2015, March 13). Health Foundations Family Health & Birth Center. Retrieved October 2, 2020 from https://healthfoundationsbirthcenter.wordpress.com/
Infant Massage at Totally Kids Acute Unit. (2019, December 18). Retrieved September 11, 2020, from
McClure, V. (2017). Infant Massage A Handbook for Loving Parents (4th ed.). New York, NY:
Bantam Books.
