On Tuesday, October 29, 2013, the Woodstown (NJ) Junior Women’s Club presented the staff of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper with specially designed devices to help premature babies.
The women’s group had raised the funds to purchase four Zaky Hands, two Kangaroo Zaks and two accessory blankets to help premature babies.
The Zaky Hand is a device that mimics the weight, feel and positioning of a human hand. Zaky Hands are clinically proven to help prematurely born infants with self-regulation, promote sleep and significantly decrease life threatening apnea and bradycardia (slow heart rate) in NICUs while simulating human touch during times when the parents or caregiver cannot be present with the baby in the hospital.
Similarly, the Kangaroo Zak, an adjustable and ergonomic device designed to facilitate skin-to-skin sessions in the NICU and postpartum between the mother and baby, aids in body regulation and other developmental functions in preemies.
Cooper University Hospital staff and Woodstown Junior Women’s Club members present one of the Zaky hands to new mother Janet Ulrich (third from left) to use with her son, Samuel, who was born prematurely. Making the presentation (from left to right) are: Kim Barr, RN, Pediatric Patient Educator at Cooper, and Woodstown Junior Women’s Club member; Janet Ulrich, RN, Cooper NICU; Kathleen Terry, Public Issues Chair for the Woodstown Junior Women’s Club; Colleen Prater, President of Woodstown Junior Women’s Club; and Gary E. Stahl, MD, Vice Chief, Department of Pediatrics, Head, Division of Neonatology, Cooper University Health Care.