NeoChats - Series 6 | Episode 1: Adding Neuropromotion to Neonatal Care: The Benefits of Neonatal Massage - Kara Ann Waitzman

SERIES 6 | EPISODE 1:
Adding Neuropromotion to Neonatal Care: The Benefits of Neonatal Massage

GUEST: Kara Ann Waitzman, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC
President, Creative Therapy Consultants
Founder, Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification

PODCAST DESCRIPTION: The content of this podcast will help you identify the developmental risks of both infants and their families in the NICU along with [developing] a heightened awareness that every interaction we have with a baby and family matters in life-altering ways. Neonatal massage is highlighted as an evidence-based neuroprotective and neuropromotional activity that positively alters life for both parents and infants in the NICU. 

BIOGRAPHY:
Kara Ann Waitzman has been a neonatal therapist for over 35 years at a level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where she assisted with the 60 bed single family room NICU design, initiated and maintains the developmental care and therapy program, and serves as the nursery’s developmental specialist. She has served on the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Continuum of Care Advisory Board and Power of Touch Committee, the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT) Professional Collaborative, the Pampers Womb to World Advisory Board, and the March of Dimes Program Services board.

 Kara Ann is a Certified Neonatal Therapist, is certified in Neonatal Touch & Massage as well as the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP). She is Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT) trained and obtained the Neonatal Developmental Care Specialist Designation through the National Association of Neonatal Nurses.

Kara Ann is president of Creative Therapy Consultants and has been a nationally sought-after speaker, educator, and consultant for over two decades. She is founder of the Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification® (NTMC), original co-founder of Infant-Driven Feeding®, and original co-developer of the Infant-Driven Feeding Scales©.  Kara Ann has published articles on neonatal positioning and handling, neonatal feeding, neuroprotection and neuropromotion, and written a chapter on neonatal neuromotor development and massage. She has developed videos on Massage, Skin-to-Skin Holding, and Swaddled Bathing for both Healthcare Providers and Parents in the NICU and SCN. 

Kara Ann has received professional awards including the Ohio Occupational Therapy Pediatric Model Practice Award, the March of Dimes Healthcare Worker of the Year Award, the 2011 Excellence in Service Award, and the National Association of Neonatal Therapists’ 2015 Inaugural Pioneer Award.

For more information about Kara Anns programs and teaching, please visit:
https://www.creativetherapyconsultants.com/our-company/

This podcast is sponsored by Pampers Professional