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Medela, a McHenry, IL-based provider of breast pumps and breastfeeding accessories, announced the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) from around the country to receive product awards as part of its annual Virtual Human Milk Campaign.
Throughout the month of November, designated as Prematurity Awareness Month, the general public voted for their favorite NICUs at http://www.medelapreemieawareness.com/.
The votes have now been tallied, and the winning NICUs are each receiving $5,000 of breastfeeding-support products "to help dedicated NICU staff members foster the human milk path from enteral feeding to breastfeeding, and to aid in infection control."
The winners include the NICUs at:
- Golisano's Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial, Rochester, NY
- Dayton Children's Medical Center, Dayton, OH
- Sanford Health, Fargo, ND
- Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center, Torrance, CA
- East Tennessee Children's Hospital, Knoxville, TN
- Baptist Medical Center South, Jacksonville, FL
A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks. In the U.S., nearly half a million babies are born premature, prior to 37 weeks of gestation.
Premature babies have a higher risk for health complications, and most require care in a NICU. Nurses play a vital role in the survival and care of premature babies as they have specialized medical expertise and equipment to handle the multiple complications faced by premature infants and their families.
"Breastmilk is so critical for premature babies. It is nature's medicine, protecting vulnerable babies from serious complications and infections during and after their hospital stay," said Carolin Archibald, president of Medela. "With this campaign we wanted to raise awareness of the importance of breastmilk and to support mothers and healthcare professionals who are providing milk to babies in the NICU."
For more information about the campaign, visit www.medelapreemieawareness.com.
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