View All Articles

Winnie Palmer Hospital Develops Special Pacifiers That Help Preemies Find Comfort

May 13, 2015

MEDIA CONTACT

Geo Morales, APR
321.841.5766
[email protected]

Harriet Miller, Ph.D, ARNP, is a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Winnie Palmer Hospital. After years of working around preemies, she developed a special pacifier after noticing that the tiniest of her patients in the NICU did not have a voice. Dr. Miller conducted a study on the effects of the new pacifier and found it reduced pain levels in babies, improved oxygen saturation, and lowered heart rates. Now, she is asking the American Academy of Neonatal Nursing (AANN) to make sure more babies have access to these special pacifiers.

Harriet’s story is receiving attention all over the country. In the last week, she has been seen on TV news in Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, and Miami talking about the need to have the pacifier she invented anywhere infants are treated. The stories encourage viewers to visit Illuminate, the Arnold Palmer Hospital blog, to sign a petition supporting Harriet’s advocacy efforts with AANN. More than 500 people have signed the petition already.

Here is a link to the Illuminate blog and the petition: http://myilluminateblog.com/pacifier.

And, here is a link to the one of the stories that was aired:

WPVI-TV Philadelphia