Parent Resources

Parents who are going through the experience of having an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can benefit greatly from support from other parents who have been in similar circumstances. Whether on-line, in person, or over the phone, there are many resources for new parents entering the world of the NICU.

When a family has a baby who is at risk or has special needs, they are entitled to certain supports, services, and rights according to I.D.E.A. or the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act". In this law, the section that refers to supports & services for children under three years of age is referred to as Part C, and in Colorado as Early Intervention Colorado. For more information on the current system of referral and care coordination, please contact the Part C/NICU Liaison project.

Early Arrival: Finding the Magic of Everyday Moments With Your Baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) by R Parlakian and C Lerner
This booklet, which provides suggestions for the unique needs of families with a baby in the NICU, is available in English and Spanish to purchase from the Zero to Three website. 
 
Fragile Infant Feeding Institute
This four and a half day intensive study of feeding and nutrition for infants with special needs emphasizes the neurodevelopmental aspects of infant feeding, supporting the infant-parent relationship, and the development of systems to support best practice. 

Getting to Know Your Baby by K VandenBerg, JV Browne, L Perez, A Newstetter
A Developmental Guide for Community Service Providers & Parents of NICU Graduates. Please contact us if you would like to purchase a hard copy of this manual. Also available in Spanish.

Preemies Today
This website of the National Preemie Families Support Network has resources, family stories, a monthly newsletter and a "for kids" section.

Newborn Hope
This website has information on risk factors for prematurity and Colorado statistics on prematurity.