By Dawn Gibson

Sometimes a hug is all a baby needs.

Victoria General Hospital introduced No Baby Unhugged, a new program in partnership with Huggies to provide support fornew parents, and ensure all babies involved in the program were getting the love and attention necessary to thrive.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not an overnight success,鈥� said Emily Gruenwoldt, executive director of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres. 鈥淭here was a lot of communication between Victoria General and Huggies to make sure that intentions and goals and outcomes were mutual.鈥�

Volunteers have been implemented in the neonatal intensive care unit and the paediatric intensive care unit of the hospital,and will cuddle, rock and sing to the newborns.

Cindy Dent, a mother of one of the children involved in the program, said the program is a great idea because the volunteers come and relieve her while she can鈥檛 be at the hospital.

鈥淲hen I heard about the program I was ecstatic,鈥� said Dent. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard for me to go and do daily things like run errands without with out feeling bad that my son is laying in his crib by himself.鈥�

Dent鈥檚 11 month old child, Gabriel, was born with type 19 Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome, a rare genetics disease that affects his breathing, swallowing, and muscles in his neck, and has been living in the hospital since birth.

鈥淚t means a lot because I know when I leave he鈥檚 in good hands and I don鈥檛 feel so bad for leaving,鈥� said Dent.

Kyla Uzzell, a volunteer that has been working with Gabriel, said that is important for someone to be with him at all times, and she is happy to be there when the parents need a break.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing environment, I really enjoy it,鈥漵aid Uzzell.

Emily Gruenwoldt, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres, said the program is great opportunity to support new parents during such a vulnerable stage of their life.

Heading out to to hug some babies.

鈥� Emily Gruenwoldt (@EGruenwoldt)

鈥淚 think of myself as a new mom and I think of how thankful I would be if the support were available for me at that time when my kids were that small,鈥� said Gruenwoldt.

The program can benefit babies by stabilizing their heart rates and body temperature, help them gain weight, improve oxygen levels, and give them a better pain tolerance.

鈥淭he best part [about the program] is definitely just seeing the happy kids and babies,鈥� said Uzzell. 鈥淭hey really are amazing.鈥�