Ongoing Campaigns

WORLD PREMATURITY DAY

NICU HAMPERS

Every NICU in Ireland receives a hamper from the INHA on November 17th containing care packages for babies and families. You can sponsor a hamper (please contact the INHA for details) or you can donate items to be included in the hampers.

WORLD PREMATURITY DAY

PURPLE ILLUMINATION OF LANDMARKS

To celebrate the 4500 babies born too early in Ireland each year, 100’s of  Irish landmarks illuminate in purple light on the night of November 17th.  Please reach out to your local councils and encourage them to illuminate local buildings in your area. Follow us on social media for a list of participating landmarks. Don’t forget to send us photographs of your illumination and we will share them on our social media channels.

Two photos depiciting the purple illumination of landmark buildings in Dublin on World Prematurity Day

WORLD PREMATURITY DAY

NATIONAL NEONATAL MEDICAL SYMPOSIUM

Our annual Neonatal Medical Symposium will take place on Friday, November 12th 2021. Due to the ongoing COVID 19 concerns this years Symposium will take place remotely again. We are delighted to be partnering with our Northern Ireland colleagues, Tiny Life in delivering this all island Symposium. Details of speakers and registration will follow shortly.

 

CAMPAIGN

KNIT FOR NICUS

Many of our neonates are too small for conventional baby clothing and as soon as the infants medical condition permits clothing, families often find it difficult to source suitable garments.
Can you knit or crochet and would you like to join our community of crafters to make hats, cardigans and quilts for premature babies?

On World Prematurity Day, November 17th, each year the INHA delivers hampers of clothing and quilts to the Irish Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

PATTERN LINKS

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/stoke/hi/people_and_places/
http://www.tinysparkswa.org.au/knitting-sewing/
http://wirf.com.au/patterns
http://www.knittingwomen.com/35-free-knitting-patterns-for-preemie-babies/
http://www.bonniebabies.co.uk/knitting.htm

Please forward your knitted, crocheted or sewn garments to the INHA , 26 Oak Glen View,  Southern Cross, Bray, Co Wicklow.

Image of 'Knits for NICUs' poster.


 

CAMPAIGN

WEDDING DRESSES TO ANGEL GOWNS

Many of the babies who pass away in our NICU’s are too tiny for conventional baby clothing so the INHA have enlisted the assistance of seamstresses from around the country, to convert wedding dresses and communion dresses into angel gowns. Many of the donated dresses are from families who have experienced a premature birth or families who have lost infants. The angel gowns are delivered to the NICU’s and offered to those families whose babies don’t survive.

Currently we are not accepting dress donations as our storage facility is full and our volunteer seamstresses need to work through existing stock.

PATTERN LINKS

http://newbornsinneed.org/patterns/bereavement-patterns/
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bereavement-gowns.html
https://www.pinterest.com/griffinflowers/angel-gown-patterns/
http://starlegacyfoundation.org/patterns/

If you would like to join our team of volunteer seamstresses please contact us for further details.

 

Image of 'Wedding Dresses to Angel Gowns' poster.


 

CAMPAIGN

INCUBATOR COVERS

The neurological system of premature babies is immature and under developed and is unable to process many of the stimuli of the busy Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) without interfering with the development of the neurological system.

Two photos showing incubator covers.

More and more hospitals around the world are acknowledging and addressing the damaging effects of loud noise and bright light. However, the NICU is a busy place providing intensive care around the clock, which makes it in practice impossible to completely ban excessive light and noise from the unit. Reduction of high-risk neonates’ exposure to aversive light and noise stimulation is an important component of developmentally supportive care. In the NICU, usually light and noise are reduced by reducing the room’s light level or by using incubator covers.
Incubator covers are a supportive measure to minimise the environmental effects of light and noise on premature infants developing brain. Use of Incubator covers has been shown to:

  • Reduce the incidence of sensory processing disorder in children thus reducing the need for occupational therapy intervention and reducing the overall cost burden to families and the health system.
  • Have positive effects on sleep quality of premature infants.
  • Reduce sound level readings within the incubator.
  • Reduce lighting levels.
  • There is evidence that when incubators are uncovered compared.
  • to being covered, incubator walls and air temperatures fall by 0.6-2.2 degrees C.The inability to maintain their body temperature is just one of the complications that preterm infants  encounter.

The Irish Neonatal Health Alliance delivers hampers of Incubator Covers to the Irish Neonatal Intensive Care units on World Prematurity Day (November 17th). We invite you to join our community of crafters and help us protect the brain development of our neonates.

The incubator covers can be made of material or wool and should be thick enough to exclude light from the incubator (a backing can also be applied to your cover).

Incubator Cover Pattern Links

https://projectlinusuk.wordpress.com/patterns-and-tutorials/incubator-covers/
https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=isolette%20cover%20patterns

Please forward your incubator covers to us at the INHA, 26 Oak Glen View, Southern Cross, Bray, Co Wicklow.