• In the Loop: Cuddle cot gives grieving parents the gift of time

closeup black and white photo of adult hand holding baby feet

Delivery rooms are usually noisy places, filled with the cries of newborns and the happy sounds of families welcoming a new arrival. But for the more than 23,000 families who experience stillbirth each year, there are no first cries or celebrations. Only silence.

"It's heart-wrenching for everyone," says Amanda Forman, nurse manager for The Baby Place at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea. Each year, her staff helps a handful of families say hello and goodbye to their newborn children. They often have just hours to do so, due to changes to the infant's body after being stillborn. But as KAAL-TV reports, a gift from the community — called a CuddleCot — aims to extend the time these families have together. Read the rest of the story.
______________________________________________________
This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.