Statement of Need

The problem of prematurity, according to the March of Dimes, is “a silent crisis in America.” Each day more than 1,400 babies in the U.S. are born prematurely (less than thirty-seven weeks gestation). Annually in the U.S., nearly 543,000 babies are born too soon. The preterm birth rate in the U.S. rose to 12.8% in 2006, a 36% increase since the early 1980s. Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in the first month of life and a contributing cause in more than a third of all infant deaths. These statistics, and much more information about the increasing rate of prematurity, are found on the March of Dimes’ web site, www.marchofdimes.com.

If there is a growing need for NICU beds for babies, it stands to reason there are more and more parents in need as well. Caroline’s Room addresses their needs: for privacy, for dignity, for a safe haven where they can talk candidly with caregivers, reflect on options, and deal with outcomes.
Despite breakthrough technology that helps preserve the vast majority of the tiny lives that are suddenly thrust into the NICU, nationally, about fifteen percent of these babies do not survive. In these very tragic cases, babies can die in their parents’ arms, a thin curtain barely separating them from the other families. In a NICU with a Caroline’s Room, they can go to their rest in the comfort of a room that is elegant, peaceful, and private. While a Caroline’s Room cannot avert a tragic loss, it can help make the experience less impersonal, sterile, and uncomfortable for all those involved.