Katie Britt Stresses the Importance of Reading to Newborns at UAB's Bookworm Day

Reading to your newborn is crucial for their early learning, especially for sick and premature babies in neonatal units. These babies need to hear human voices during a critical period of rapid brain growth, according to experts at UAB Medicine and Children's Hospital.

To support early reading, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) visited UAB on Monday for the 2024 NICU Bookworm Day and read to newborns.

Senator Britt read to babies in the UAB Women & Infants Center’s Regional Newborn Intensive Care Unit (RNICU), Continuing Care Nursery (CCN), and the NICU at Children’s of Alabama Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children.

"I want every child to have the chance to achieve their American Dream, and early brain development is key to making that possible. It lays the foundation for a child's future," said Senator Britt. "UAB and Children's Bookworm Day is an important initiative that shows parents how vital it is to read to their babies from an early age. I read to my kids when they were young, and today, I was able to read to babies receiving life-saving care in the NICUs at UAB Hospital and Children's of Alabama. I'm thankful for the medical professionals who care for these babies every day, not just with medicine but through programs like Bookworm Day. I was proud to be part of this program, and I hope it encourages all parents to make reading to their babies and children a daily habit."

UAB and Children's of Alabama started the NICU Bookworms reading program in 2021 to help reduce developmental issues in sick and premature babies and to strengthen the bond between parents and their babies. Last year, the program added a new book vending machine, where parents can use tokens to get books to read to their babies. Parents earn these tokens by participating in parent-baby activities and education programs.

"Many studies show that early literacy is crucial for a child's development and is a strong indicator of future success. However, many parents don't realize the benefits of early reading. The NICU Bookworms program at UAB and Children's of Alabama aims to improve parent-baby bonding, increase word exposure through books, and emphasize the importance of early reading. We appreciate Senator Britt's visit to support our efforts for our patients and families," said Dr. Viral Jain, an assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology at UAB and Children's of Alabama.