I have been following the discussion on the building of a new NICU and wish to
offer a suggestion. Before spending enormous amounts of money on the physical
layout of a new NICU, I would like to suggest that those who staff it read the
following article: Harrison Helen: The principles for family-centered neonatal
care. Pediatrics 1993; 92:643-650. This is the summary of a meeting of
parents, neonatologists, pediatricians, social workers, and NICU nurses
(sponsored by Ross Laboratories). In spite of the sponsorship, the 10
prinicples recommend more of an attitude adjustment and less provision of the
fancy trappings. The section on breastfeeding support states loud and clear
what the parents need. Before you make recommendations about new NICUs, you
may wish to convene a focus group of graduates from your NICU and find out
what parents and tiny babies really need.

I have been hearing of recent conferences on preemie nutrition that are doing
a great job of discrediting breast milk for preterm infants. Nurses,
dietitians, and physicians who attend these conferences need to look carefully
at the sponsorship and challenge the statements being made (the latest I heard
was that preterm breast milk had inadequate amounts of protein based on the
amounts measured in formula!). Once we allow formula to be used as the
reference food for any infant we allow the door to be opened further in the
push to position breast milk as inadequate for any baby.