Why is it Important for Preemie Babies to Have a Zaky?
The Zaky has been successfully used in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the Texas Medical Center since 2001. Research shows that the Zaky helps not only the mother by feeling as though she is leaving a part or her with the baby and becoming more involved with the baby’s care, but it also helps the nurses, caregivers, and the baby in positioning, comfort, and sense of security and support. Babies need breathing, warmth, eating, and protection. The first three are critical for survival and are given in the hospital if the babies are not able to do it by themselves (i.e., ventilators, warmers, and feeding tubes). Protection, however, is primarily provided by moms and their touch. The Zaky is designed to give this sense of protection and security that the mother gives when she is away. In the last trimester of pregnancy, babies kick more, stretch and develop their muscles to use when they are born. The womb provides the boundaries needed to bring the babies back to a fetal position
