Hospitals Dress NICU Babies in Halloween Costumes

Hospitals across the U.S. transformed NICUs into festive photographic spaces this Halloween, dressing tiny patients in handmade costumes to mark many babies' first holiday. At USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile, more than 60 families took part in coordinated photo sessions. Nurses, volunteers and community groups at centers including Yale New Haven, Seattle Children’s, Prisma Health, St. Luke’s Chesterfield, Sunrise Health System, Unity Health in Searcy and Carondelet St. Joseph’s in Tucson contributed handcrafted outfits and keepsake ornaments. Donors and volunteer costume-makers, such as Kim Kohrs and Preemies of the Carolinas, provided extra-small outfits designed to accommodate medical devices and create keepsakes for families. Staff said the celebrations provided families with hope, normalcy and bonding opportunities during prolonged NICU stays and helped parents feel more confident preparing for discharge.