Pebbles of Hope launched this week the first module of its Thrive Guide — the first ever interactive course, offered free of charge, designed to educate parents of preemies on critical care practices for their babies.  The first module of the Thrive Guide, which focuses on nutrition, breastfeeding and Kangaroo Care – skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby – includes expert information, instructional videos and parent testimonials to help parents give the world’s smallest babies the best foundation for a healthy life.

 

The online version of the Thrive Guide will be hosted on the Udemy online learning platform.  Additional versions of the course will be made available in offline formats for individuals without access to an Internet connection.  Already, over 200 individuals have signed up to use this important resource, with new users signing up every day.

 

All content in the course has been reviewed and approved by the Pebbles of Hope expert advisory panel of doctors, neonatal nurses and pediatric nutritionists.  Additional input and resources have been provided by La Leche League USA.  The course will be distributed to parents worldwide through partnerships with hospitals and medical professionals, with special attention given to enrolling individuals in the course that live in underserved areas such as rural communities and low-income urban neighborhoods.

 

Over time, Pebbles of Hope plans to expand the Thrive Guide to include additional modules covering topics such as infection prevention, managing respiratory challenges and methods for parents to stimulate the healthy development of their little ones.  This resource will eventually be translated into multiple languages for international distribution and bundled with additional complementary services for parents, including a companion mobile app to be launched in Spring 2015 and a mentoring program to be launched in Summer 2015.

 

To learn more about the Thrive Guide or to sign up for the course, visit https://www.pebblesofhope.org/current-programs.