Baby Care  
Positive Touch Specialist
Neonatal Nurse
  
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Designed by:Liam Nolan
© Cherry Bond 2007
 
 
 
 
 
POSITIVE TOUCH IN THE NEONATAL UNIT

Parental Touch is an innate and fundamental interaction.....
prem baby
neonatal intensive care
……….which is often denied to the infant in Neonatal Intensive Care

The power of sensitive, nurturing touch has been researched for several decades
Domonique Acolet & Cherry Bond
infant



The Positive Touch Programme promotes care that the family can be in the centre of, from the very beginning of the infants' life

It is a loving and interactive dialogue

The 5-step dialogue is taught so all staff and parents can use it to enhance any interaction

  1. Preparation & observation
  1. Touch permission
  1. Tuning into the baby & pacing
  1. Touch Intervention
  1. Completion


Preparation & observation
Care giving



Simple ‘routine’ care-giving is done without the infant showing stress signals.
All touch contact respects the infant’s developmental agenda and behavioural cues.
All touch
   
Parents are considered their infant’s primary caregiver and are always central to all parenting tasks
Parents
Parenting tasks

So…….from the beginning of the infant’s life……….. to the discharge (and beyond), nurturing touch is used as a powerful parent  infant connection/communication.

The infant is kept calm, relaxed, and is able to reach his/her full potential without aversive sensory or feeding behaviours. The parents are included in their babies care from the very beginning, learning that their individual child is unique and has a silent language which they can interpret so that the care they give is safe and pleasurable.  
 
James 16 weeks early)
James with a loving resting hand
   

James was born at 24 weeks gestation (16 weeks early). He was popped into a polythene bag as soon as he was delivered to keep him medically & physically stable, warm and protected from his new unsuitable environment.
At first he struggled a bit with his breathing but mum and dad were there to encourage him with a loving resting hand.
James was held close to his parent’s skin
James is now 3 years old

Even when James had some inevitable set-backs, he was held close to his parent’s skin so he knew he was loved and not alone.

James went home fully breast feeding and is now 3 years old and developing normally.
 

    Thank you for your donation
   
All donations are welcome as they help keep the cost of the course as low as possible.