While other books discuss growing up with a sibling with a disability, the baby that is in the NICU, or the parents of the baby, this books discusses the needs of siblings when a baby is in the NICU. This book is designed for professionals to assist families in supporting the siblings of infants hospitalized in the NICU. The birth and hospitalization of the baby is a stressful situation for the entire family, but most resources about the NICU do not focus on the needs of siblings or consider the effect on the family as a whole. The book's chapters address the many stages a family goes through when the mother has a high risk pregnancy or when the family has a baby in the NICU. High risk pregnancy, the birth of an infant who needs to be hospitalized, visiting the NICU, transitioning home, and growing together upon the infant's return home are all covered from the perspective of how to support siblings. The book also discusses sibling support groups, the birth of multiple infants, and the death of an infant. Each chapter includes suggestions for sharing information with young siblings, ways to include siblings in the baby's life, and how to support siblings throughout this time period.
Linda Rector, M.S., CCLS is an Independent Consultant in Houston, Texas. Ms. Rector is a Reach Out and Read Volunteer at the Good Neighbor Clinic in Houston, Texas. She served as a neonatal child life specialist for a number of years as well as a child life manager and child life specialist on a variety of units at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. Ms. Rector also worked as a child life specialist at Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas; a child life fellow at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas; and a sixth-grade teacher at Calallen Independent School District in Corpus Christi, Texas. Ms. Rector graduated from The Ohio State University with a master of science degree in child development and from Texas Christian University with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. She is a certified child life specialist and is certified in Texas as an elementary teacher with a kindergarten endorsement. In November 2001, Ms. Rector received the first annual Reba Michels Hill Award from Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology. In 1993, she was a member of the psychosocial team from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston VA Hospital, and Texas Children's Hospital requested to work with children released from Ranch Apocalypse (the Branch Davidians' compound) in Waco, Texas. She has given a number of presentations and interviews on topics such as the education, training, and role of neonatal child life specialists, infant brain development, pain management for infants, and debriefing protocols for traumatized children.
"Timely and much needed . . . I am certain this book will become indispensable to child life specialists, nurses, other health care providers and even parents." --Chris Brown, M.S., CCLS
