Parents of Preemies

 13 million each year...

10% of annual births...

...Are premature births.

 

Almost a million babies die,

 as a result of being born too early

 – each year...

within their first month.

Lives are turned upside down.

Control is lost...

Time stops.

 

2012 sees the introduction

of a new Special Day.

The 23^rd of March is

Parents of Preemies Day.

Research is showing that

preemie parents suffer

psychologically, following

their babies birth.

Preemie parents learn

a new language,

as their baby fights for life...

  Inside a plastic cage –

 far from loving arms,

parents learn the sounds

and actions of an alien room.  

A study followed

18 preemie parents. 

After 4 months,

3 were diagnosed

with post Traumatic

 Stress Syndrome. 

Another seven were considered

“at high risk”

for the disorder. 

(That’s more than half...)

  Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

is a mental illness

suffered after living through

 extreme conditions –

 think war, car accidents

 and severe physical assaults... 

Finally, it is being recognised

that parents dealing

with the intensity of

premature babies suffer

in the same way

as people

 stuck in war-torn nations...

amid bombs and gunfire... 

(such is the pressure

of watching a

premature baby fight for life...

 ...every day!)

In the NICU (hospital), 

there are constant

alarms and noises...

people die.

You don’t know who will die

 and who won’t  -

but the possibility,

while you may deny it...

is very real.

Preemie parents can have

bad news thrown at them

– over and over

and over again...

Interestingly, preemie dads

 cope better while their baby

 is in the hospital –

but showed higher

 post traumatic stress syndrome

 stress than the mothers –

 once their baby was home.

If there are celebrations

for so many

of the little things in life,

 there should absolutely

be celebrations for the amazing

strength required

of preemie parents

(and the people who take

 the steps with the parents...)

While joining the

Parents of Preemies “club”

 happens by accident...

and is undesirable...

once you’re in – you’re in.

Parents of Preemies –

embrace your day!

You deserve a day!

Parents of Premmies on facebook,

 the webpage,

a picture

and the post traumatic stress

 information.