Meeting the Needs of Babies in the NICU
By Sue Robinson | Posted: Wednesday June 2, 2021
Scent Hearts are given to parents whose babies are cared for in some Neonatal Units in New Zealand.
The hearts are made in pairs to give to mum to wear in her clothing or dad to wear on his chest whilst they are apart from baby. The second heart is placed near baby so they can smell each other and feel loved. The hearts are then swapped frequently to help maintain a bond.
The Textile department was approached by The Neo Natal Trust (Dunedin) to see if we would be interested in making some hearts.
They provided us with 100% prewashed cotton fabric to make the hearts and students, along with the help of some volunteers, sewed the hearts. This was quite challenging for some but the students enjoyed improving their skills and doing something to help others.
We put two pairs into organza bags along with a wee explanation to be given to parents. Our first bag of hearts have been collected to be distributed as needed.