Japanese Nursing Faculty Confirm Benefits of HUG Your Baby

A Japanese colleague, Yoko Shimpuku, PhD, CNM, RN, and Jan Tedder wrote an article that describes the impact of bringing HUG Your Baby to Japan. 

(2013).  HUG Your Baby: Evidence-based support tool for early child rearing.  Japanese Journal of Nursing Education 54(12): 1114-1118.

Since some of you may need to brush up on your Japanese in order to read it, I want to share the content of this article in English! The article includes:

• A summary of the challenges childbearing families in Japan face today: 
• decreased fertility rates
• increased average age of new mothers
• isolation of young mothers due to decreased proximity of the nuclear family
• long working hours of fathers
• Academic background of HUG Your Baby: Based on the research and writings of leaders in the pediatric and child development world including: 
• Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and his colleagues, Dr. Kevin Nugent and Dr. Edward Tronick
• Drs. Stella Chess and Alexander Thomas
• Dr. Mary Ainsworth
• Drs. Marshal and Phyllis Klaus
• Components of the HUG Your Baby Program: Innovative and family-friendly language helps parents 
• observe three newborn "Zones," including the "Resting - sleeping Zones," the "Ready - 'I am ready to eat or play' - Zone," and the "Rebooting - fussing or crying Zone";
• notice "Body SOSs" (changes in color, movement and breathing) and the "Behavioral SOSs" ("Spacing Out," "Switching Off," and "Shutting Down"), in order to
• prevent and solve problems around a baby's eating, sleeping crying and parent-child interaction.
• 23 faculty completed evaluation of presentation.
• The feedback received from nurses who completed an evaluation of the HUG Your Baby workshop they attended in Japan.

New Zealand: "HUG-ging Nursing Students in NZ and Asia Pacific"

One of the most rewarding experiences of this year of travel has been sharing HUG Your Baby ideas at nursing schools. I still remember how impressionable I was as a nursing student. Both the exuberance and passion of an awe-inspiring nurse--and the apathetic demeanor of a "worn-out" nurse--provided me with images of what I wanted (and wanted NOT) to be in my chosen career!

So it was with a bounce in my step that I entered the NMIT School of Nursing (North Marlborough Institute of Technology) classroom with Helen Childs, nursing faculty, to meet fifty energetic, third-year nursing students in Nelson, New Zealand. 

Students brought cups of coffee to this first morning class and an understandably inquisitive spirit about this "guest speaker from the USA." Like any teacher challenged with teaching the first class of the day, I was determined to keep the students from drifting into the "Resting Zone," and tried instead to keep them engaged with the information at hand. Sounding "like Dolly Parton" (as one student observed I did) helped make me seem interesting!

Two hours was a short amount of time to: introduce the group to the work of Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, explain the primary HUG concepts, and share the impact of giving a HUG to families at this most tender and vulnerable time in their lives. 

After a few introductory remarks, I showed segments of The HUG DVD and soon was pleased to hear a number of "Ahs" and quiet chuckles as these HUG babies demonstrated their amazing ability to communicate. "If only we could learn to speak THEIR language!" one student remarked.

I especially love to share the power of the HUG Strategy, "See and Share" the baby's behavior. Several stories helped these young men and women, on the verge of beginning their careers, consider how they might make a difference in the lives of the families they serve. They were attentive and intrigued hearing me assert, "YOU can be THE person these young families remember for the rest of their lives--if you take a few minutes to help a new mum and dad get to know and understand their newborn!" One enthusiastic listener said, "I want to be YOU when I grow up!" How fun to inspire new nurses to glimpse the possibilities their careers might offer!

Ms. Childs joins other nursing faculty from Korea, Japan, Brunei and Thailand who are considering if the HUG Your Baby materials might be incorporated into pediatric and obstetrical training at their nursing school. Research now underway at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (USA) is evaluating the impact of utilizing The HUG's online programs with undergraduate students at the UNC School of Nursing. Preliminary results suggest that these materials positively influence both students' knowledge of infant behavior and their confidence to teach young parents. Stay tuned for publication of the results of this carefully designed, implemented, and evaluated study.

Thailand: Chiang Mai Gets a HUG!

Chiang Mai, Thailand

After a short plane ride, Jim and I find ourselves at Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand. We had several days to rest after a busy teaching schedule in Bangkok. We found the temperature cool, the food hot, and the people warm and welcoming!

Jim and I were delighted to spend an afternoon this week with Dr. Kannika Bangsainoi, a recently retired pediatrician, who is a long-time friend of Dr. Siraporn Sawasdivorn and a committee member of the Thai Breastfeeding Center. Needless to say, Jim and I had a lot to talk about as we discussed HUG Your Baby and Dr. Kannika’s many projects to support breastfeeding mothers in Thailand.

In addition to conversations about babies, we were treated to a tour of the magical world outside Chiang Mai, our “home” for 10 days. I especially enjoyed our visit to the Royal Park, Rajapruek, which hosts gardens from 21 countries around the world. Jim enjoyed our trip to the nearby temple and (size large!) Buddha watching over Chiang Mai. Jim bought a Thai flute and enjoyed playing with the man who makes and plays this distinctive instrument. And, of course there was more amazing food. But, we especially appreciated a short history lesson as Dr. Kannika helped us better understand the “Red” and “Yellow” political tension in Bangkok (See Jim's blog on this subject.) She will be attending the all-day HUG workshop at Chiang Mai School of Nursing. I am eager to get her feedback!

Chiang Mai School of Nursing

Sometimes a HUG Your Baby experience can be quite magical! This was the case with our all-day HUG training on Friday, when Jim and I met eight faculty and twenty-two graduate and undergraduate students at Chiang Mai School of Nursing, Thailand. 

In this full-day workshop we were able to cover: the needs of today’s young families, the value of using accessible language and ideas with new mothers and fathers, and The HUG strategies and techniques for helping families prevent and solve problems around a baby’s, sleeping, crying and attachment. Special attention was given to supporting breastfeeding and sharing The HUG Your Baby Roadmap to Breastfeeding Success.

Attendees enjoyed watching Jim demonstrate a baby’s SOSs (which is quite funny) and having time to practice HUG techniques. Students and faculty especially enjoyed the HUG demonstration with two two-day-old babies. And, as is always the case, each baby had something special to show us. 

One baby demonstrated a remarkable rooting reflex that I quickly connected to mother’s ability to successfully breastfeed. Swaddling this baby enhanced his ability to engage. 

The other baby showed us what self-regulation looks like as he moved smoothly from the Resting Zone to the Ready Zone. Both mothers were delighted to have their sons “teach” this group of nurses!