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Home News Desserts Hit the Sweet Spot to Raise Prematurity Awareness

Desserts Hit the Sweet Spot to Raise Prematurity Awareness

Published: Monday, November 12, 2007

 

A table full of delicious pink and blue cheesecakes and cookies, coupled with some tasty pink punch gave parents of premature infants a break while also helping to raise prematurity awareness at The University of Tennessee Medical Center. The event, called Desserts for the Delicate, coincides with national Prematurity Awareness Month, which is in November. Prematurity is the leading cause of death in newborns.

UT Medical Center’s executive chef, Monty Lowans, prepared the bite-sized cheesecakes, and the March of Dimes brought the cookies to share with staff members of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UT Medical Center as well as parents who have babies in the specialized unit for critically ill and premature babies.

Stephen and Jennifer Oxley are looking forward to taking their triplets - Jensen, Jenna and Jersey - home soon. Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Violinist Sean Claire plays soothing music for the babies in the NICU. Studies show that this type of soothing music can have a positive impact on the development of premature babies.

“Parents of NICU babies really go through a stressful time so we want to give them a little stress reliever, let them know we’re thinking about them and help raise awareness throughout the community about the seriousness of prematurity,” said Kim Massey, nurse manager of UT Medical Center’s NICU. “We also take the opportunity to recognize our staff for working so hard to help these delicate babies in their development.”

While the national average for premature, or preterm, births is one in eight babies, the figure in Tennessee is one in seven. Tennessee ranks among the worst in the nation in both prematurity and infant deaths.