Supporting your baby's development in NICU and at home: Advice from neonatal development expert Inga Warren from FINE | S3E34

Feeling powerless when you’re in NICU with your baby is a common occurrence, but thankfully, there are lots of things you can do to improve the experience your baby has in the neonatal unit. Whether it’s holding them during a medical procedure, or keeping an eye on them to see how they react to things, a parent can do a lot to help their baby through their neonatal stay. If you don’t really know where to begin, then today’s episode is for you!

Talking us through it all today is our guest, the fantastic Inga Warren, who is a true pioneer in the field of neonatal care and has dedicated over 30 years to improving care for infants and their families. She is co-director of the Family and Infant Neurodevelopmental Care Programme, FINE. Inga has also contributed to numerous medical publications and co-authored “Caring for Your Baby on the Neonatal Unit: A Parent's Handbook” and “Your Preterm Baby's Care and Development at Home” both of which are invaluable resources for parents navigating the NICU and at home afterwards. Inga has a background in occupational therapy and a passion for early intervention and has been a key figure in helping to shape neonatal care on an international scale.

This conversation with Inga is full of advice for any parent in NICU, but also for NICU staff who want to improve upon the care they provide to babies in the unit. It’s definitely one you’ll want to take notes on!

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

  • What led our guest, Inga Warren, to dedicate over 30 years to improving care for infants and their families
  • The importance of early intervention for premature babies
  • Common barriers that you might come across when your baby is in neonatal care
  • How you can improve your baby’s experience of medical procedures
  • Things to look out for to see if your baby is happy and how you can continue to promote healthy development at home

Take what you need!

[00:48] How our guest, Inga, got started in neonatal care

[05:11] Why early intervention is so important

[06:25] Challenges and resistance in neonatal care

[09:35] What is the FINE programme?

[15:39] Advice for people who aren’t or weren’t able to hold their baby as much as they’d like

[21:26] Signs you can look out for that your baby isn’t happy

[26:04] The role a parent can play in their baby’s procedures

[33:52] How neonatal staff can start to change practice

[37:06] About Inga’s books

[42:46] Where to find out more about Inga’s courses and trainings for neonatal staff

[45:28] Final pieces of advice for parents with a baby in neonatal care

A huge thank you to Emma at Cover My Bubble for supporting our podcast - you can find out more about all that Cover My Bubble offer at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.covermybubble.co.uk

Connect with Miracle Moon:

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Connect with our guest, Inga:

Buy Inga’s books, “Caring for Your Baby on the Neonatal Unit”, “Your Preterm Baby’s Care and Development at Home”

Have a look at Inga’s programmes for neonatal staff

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