AUSTIN (KXAN) — Newborn babies in the neonatal intensive care unit are getting an extra assist to help with their early brain development.
The unit at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin has recruited community members, along with staff and families, to read to the little ones around the clock during their first days of life.
The goal is to help close the language exposure gap between babies who require a longer stay in the hospital and those who go home a day or two after being born.
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“Babies in the NICU, on average, hear about 10,000 to 20,000 less words per day,” said Neuro NICU Program Director Dr. Ashley Lucke.
Instead of parents and siblings talking, singing, and reading, Dr. Lucke said NICU babies hear a lot of alarms, beeps, and monitors…