Even in this Pandemic year, according to the WHO recommendations, we continue to encourage and support NICUs to raise their medical practice quality provided for the long-hospitalized newborns in Romania. Together with EFCNI, the European Foundation for the Care of the Newborn (where Unu si Unu is a member since 2013) donated 5 special chairs for practicing Kangaroo Care in Romanian hospitals.

In order to make sure the chairs go to a place where the medical staff really want their parents and babies to be close through Kangaroo method, we organized a competition. Hospitals were invited to express their desire and motivation by filling out a form. Thus, 6 hospitals registered, entering the public voting competition, on Facebook (parents or supporters from the Unu si Unu community and from the hospital’s communities). We rewarded 2 hospitals: 3 Kangaroo chairs for the hospital ranked first in the public vote and 2 Kangaroo chairs for 2^nd place. We thank the doctors and nurses from these 6 hospitals who were involved in promoting the contest on Facebook and attracted many supporters from their cities. Competition ranking was the following:

• 1^st place (2614 vots) SCJU Satu Mare (winner of 3 Kangaroo chairs for their level II NICU)
• 2^nd place (1668 vots) SCJU Alba Iulia (winner of 2 Kangaroo chairs for their level II NICU)
• 3^rd place (1126 vots) SCJU Miercurea Ciuc
• 4^th place (385 vots) SCJU Baia Mare
• 5^th place (144 vots) SCJU Vaslui
• 6^th place (22 vots) SUU Elias București

We had set our voting period at one week, but after 2 days of non-stop voting, we decided there’s enough representation and that we will stop voting process at 6,000 comments. We were very happy to see so much involvement, on the one hand from the hospitals that entered the competition with great enthusiasm, on the other hand from the parents and the city’s communities. It was an example of mobilization. The Kangaroo chairs were purchased from a German manufacturer, through the support of EFCNI. The chairs are special for hospital use, the materials being easy to sterilize. The backrest and footrest are adjustable, and parents can sit in a comfortable position holding their baby on their chest for al least 60 minutes, as recommended. The total cost, which includes transport, was 7,700 euros, supported entirely by EFCNI.

Many thanks to dr. Roxana Varga (Head of NICU in SCJU Satu Mare) and to Dr. Brigitte Arghius (Head of NICU in SCJU Alba Iulia) who send us the lovely pictures bellow with moms and babies using the Kangaroo Care chairs.

Alongside with EFCNI, we provided free seats for the Educational webinar Series: LIVE Q&A with experts – Susan Ludington to 7 professionals from the hospitals registered in the competition. Susan Ludington RN, CNM, Ph.D., FAAN is professor at the Nursing Department of Case Western Reserve University, a researcher and pioneer of the Kangaroo Care method in Western countries. She began her practice and research on Kangaroo Care in 1988, published a book on the benefits of research in 1993, and is now the “advocate” of the kangaroo care method, training professionals and building parental trust.

Why is important for us to have parents close to NICU babies?

Since 2018, when “Little human in therapy” project started, we made efforts to bring parents close to their babies born too soon, too small or too sick. It’s the family right to be together, especially in this moment of vulnerability, when being in neonatal intensive care unit.

Our gratitude goes to EFCNI, to the hospitals enrolled in the contest, to the public that voted for their town hospital and to all Unu si Unu supporters!

(Photo source: SCJU Alba Iulia and SCJU Satu Mare. Copyright Unu si Unu Association/ ARNIS.)