Volunteers Help Premature Babies Thrive With the Sweetest Medical Care: Cuddling (VIDEO)
Husband and wife Pat Rice and Claire Fitzgerald have helped fragile premature babies thrive at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. for over 16 years, but they aren't doctors or nurses. They aren't even paid. The couple are volunteers, and their life-giving therapy requires no formal education. They simply and sweetly cuddle their infant patients.
The reality is that parents of a premature baby can't necessarily be at the baby's bedside all day. They might need to go to work or care for other children at home. That's where the volunteer cuddlers come in, and the benefits are real.
Doctors say that when cuddled, babies can experience more relaxation, high blood oxygenation, better pain tolerance and more stable body temperature.
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This ABC News report shows how human touch can make a big difference in lives young and old.
