On October 24, little Santiago was found in Amsterdam, after his kidnapping in France by his parents. To explain this escape, one suggestion was made: the parents feared being deprived of their parental rights. In these cases, some newborns find themselves alone in the hospital. To make their lives sweeter, volunteers are tasked with cuddling and reassuring them.
In Virginie’s arms is little Salar, aged 3 months and one week. Born premature at only 26 weeks of pregnancy, or 14 weeks before the term, he is considered an “extreme premature baby”.
We immediately see a change in behavior
Virginie is not his mother. She is one of what we call here “baby cuddlers”. Once a week, she keeps them company. “The contact, the human warmth, we immediately see a change in behavior. If a baby is agitated, you can stay with him for more than an hour until he calms down.“, explains Virginie, volunteer.
Salar suffers from digestive problems and has been hospitalized since his birth in an intensive neonatology unit, reserved for serious pathologies. “Most families cannot be present 24 hours a day during a long hospitalization. Some parents have other children at home, work or live far away. So they can’t be there all the time. So, they count on us so that their baby is not too distressed“, explains Françoise Poskin, head of “Baby Cuddlers” for the Huderf non-profit association.
Essential hugs
But why are these cuddles so essential for these newborns? Denis, another premature baby, finds comfort in the arms of another cuddler. The head of the neonatology department confirms the importance of this presence: “The newborn’s brain develops very intensively. All the experiences he has from his first days influence neural connections. Without this, motor or relational problems may arise. Carrying is crucial. Ideally, this is done by parents, but in their absence, the presence of other people contributes to their well-being“, explains Aline Vuckovic, director of the intensive neonatology department at the Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital.
Without these hugs, they are in danger
Parental consent is essential for these volunteers to care for babies. However, this is not always possible. Some parents, due to addiction problems or psychosocial disorders, may lose their rights from birth. The baby then finds himself alone in the hospital. “In these cases, some parents may have supervised visitation rights, but many do not come. Faced with this situation, we quickly call on cuddlers. Without these cuddles, babies are in danger of major psycho-emotional deficiency“, underlines the head of department.
They give us a lot
In the most extreme situations, lack of affection can lead to deaths among hospitalized newborns. Cuddlers are therefore mobilizing to prevent these tragedies. There are currently around 70 of them offering their presence in this reference hospital for children, as well as in other establishments in Brussels and Wallonia. “We give a lot to these little ones, but they also give us a lot. We avoid getting attached because they are not our children, nor our family. Of course, I would like to hear from them later. But I wish them luck and we move on to other babies who need us“, confides Virginie. “Obviously, we remember those we took great care of, but life goes on.”
For little Denis, being treated for chronic respiratory problems, leaving the hospital could soon be considered. On the other hand, Salar will still have to wait several months before being able to return home.
premature baby child well-being
