Nurture Hearts

Evidence 

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00597/full 

Johan N. Lundström, Annegret Mathe, Benoist Schaal, Johannes Frasnelli Katharina Nitzsche, Johannes Gerber, Thomas Hummel 

Human mother's behavioural response to neonatal body odour is well-established and like other neonatal traits, odours indeed seem to be particularly salient stimuli to post-parturient women. Reciprocally, infants are highly reactive to maternal odours. Such facts support the notion that body odours serve as a medium for the mutual exchange of cues and signals that may influence mother to infant and infant to mother signalling in a manner previously demonstrated for visual stimuli.  

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378378219300970?via%3Dihub 

Roberta Pineda, Mary Raney, Joan Smith 

The Supporting and Enhancing Sensory Experiences (SENSE) program has studied the effect of positive, age-appropriate sensory input to the preterm infant. These interventions, performed by parents or a team of caregivers when parents are not available, are provided daily during hospitalization. These solicitations include massage, sound enrichment (human voice and music), olfactory enrichment with scented fabric, and vestibular and visual enrichment with dimmed lights. Preterm infants who received the SENSE program had less asymmetry on the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Scale NNNS and higher scores on the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Assessment, and mothers showed more confidence. 

“Scent and memory can have powerful connections, as anyone who has caught a whiff of a particular smell that suddenly inspires powerful connections to the past can attest” https://www.healthline.com/health/baby/baby-smell 

Education 

From about 22 weeks' gestation, your baby’s sense of smell is developed enough to recognise your unique scent. This is a crucial part of their early development and bonding process. In the NICU, where separation from parents is sometimes necessary, you can use Nurture Hearts infused with your scent to provide comfort and support for your little one. These hearts can help soothe your baby, support better sleep, reduce pain responses and encourage calming behaviours.

One heart is placed on the mother’s chest to capture her scent, and the other is placed near the baby. The hearts are then exchanged, allowing both mother and baby to have a piece of each other, strengthening their bond even when they are apart. 

As a parent, you can also take home a heart carrying your baby’s scent. This connection can help enhance the bond between you and your baby and may even support increased breast milk production for mothers. 

These small acts of connection through scent can make a significant difference in the emotional and physical well-being of both parent and baby during their time in the NICU. 

Benefits of Nurture Hearts  

• Your unique scent is comforting for your baby while they are separated from you. 
• Your baby’s unique scent helps you to feel close to your baby when separated – you may also help with your letdown reflex and establishing/maintaining your milk supply.

Precautions  

Nurture hearts are safe to use for babies in the Neonatal Critical Care Unit. However, it is important that you speak to your healthcare team and follow these guidelines.  

• DO NOT use the cuddle hearts if you are: – unwell with vomiting or diarrhoea – have any cold or flu symptoms – have active cold sores – have any infectious illness (for the complete duration of that illness). 
• Miracle Babies Foundation recommends safe sleeping practices for all babies. Therefore, cuddle hearts should no longer be used once your baby is not monitored and DO NOT use cuddle hearts at home.

These hearts are to ONLY be used in hospital while your baby is monitored.  

Directions 

1. Heart one –– choose a Nurture heart for your baby. Your baby’s nurse/midwife will help you to place the cloth heart close to your baby so it will absorb their scent. 
2. Heart two –– choose another heart and place on your chest when you are expressing, or in your bra, so that it will absorb your scent. Note: perfumes and scented creams might mask your own individual scent. 
3. Once you have had a Nurture heart close to your skin for a few hours swap cuddle hearts with your baby. Your baby will have a cuddle heart with your scent, and you will have a cuddle heart that smells like your baby. 
4. A Nurture heart that has been worn and used by baby must NOT be worn again and needs to be washed. 
5. The cuddle hearts are machine washable. The water temperature needs to be at least 40 degrees Celsius and do not use fabric softeners or highly scented laundry detergents. Once washed, the cuddle hearts can be tumbled dried on a warm setting or air dried. Make sure the cuddle heart is completely dry before using again. 
6. Store washed cuddle hearts in a clean snap lock bag until ready to be used. 

Empowerment 

Smell has a strong connection to long term memory, and your baby can recognise the parent's smell immediately after birth. 

• Your scent is comforting and familiar to your baby. 

• Breastfeeding and kangaroo care are great ways to allow your baby to experience your scent. 

• Providing your scent and the scent of breast milk through scent cloths or other items can also provide your baby with comfort when you cannot be present. 

• The parent's smell is important for bonding and makes your baby feel safe.

Useful Links 

Miracle Babies Foundation – Sewing Tutorial  

https://clarety-miraclebabies.s3.amazonaws.com/userimages/Sewing%20Tutorial%20Template%20(2).pdf 

The Pulse 

https://thepulse.org.au/2018/09/27/closest-to-your-heart/ 

Every Tiny Thing 

https://everytinything.com/blogs/nicu-blog/using-scent-to-stay-connected-to-your-baby-in-the-nicu 

Need support? NurtureConnect allows you to connect with our NurtureProgram support team. 

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