Breastfeeding Support Group
$100; Four-month registration.
This weekly support group for new mothers offers encouragement and feedback on breastfeeding your newborn. You will have the opportunity to breastfeed your baby with guidance from a lactation consultant. For more information, course offerings and schedules, call NYU Hospitals Center's Health Education Center at (212) 263-7201.

Infant & Child CPR and First Aid & Child Safety Course (Newborns to 8 Years Old)

This 4-hour course is designed to teach parents, caregivers, grandparents and friends Infant Child and CPR according to the American Heart Association guidelines. It also includes an overview of First Aid and Child Safety, and is taught by AHA certified instructors. For more information, schedules, and to reserve a class, please call NYU Medical Center's Health Education Center at (212) 263-7201.

Course fee: $75 per person

Breast Pump Sales and Rental Station
In order to provide more comprehensive breastfeeding services, NYU Hospitals Center runs an on-site Breast Pump Sales and Rental Station that offers a full line of Medella pumps and instruction by lactation consultants. The Sales and Rental Station is located on the Mother-Baby Unit, 13 West, and is open to patients and employees, and by appointment to the general public. It carries the entire line of Medella pumps ranging from mini-electrics to hospital-grade pumps and other breastfeeding products and accessories. The Breast Pump Sales and Rental Station at NYU Hospitals Center is open Monday through Friday. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, please call the NYU Maternity Line at (212) 263-BABY.

Child Life Services - About Your Child's Hospital Visit
Along with nurses and doctors, Child Life Specialists, Recreation and Creative Arts Therapists work on the Pediatrics Unit to provide a safe environment for children to ask questions and express their emotions. Child Life services are designed to help children and their families become familiar with the hospital environment and allay fears that often accompany a visit to the hospital. Various programs are provided to meet the emotional and developmental needs of children. For more information and to learn about the important information about your child's visit to the hospital, come visit Child Life at NYU Hospitals Center.

Child Study Center
The NYU Child Study Center is a multi-disciplinary team of professionals dedicated to advancing the field of mental health for children and their families through evidence-based practice, science, and education. The Center offers expert psychiatric services for children and families, with emphasis on early diagnosis and intervention. The Center integrates the finest research with patient care and state-of-the-art training, utilizing an extraordinary new facility and the resources of the world class NYU School of Medicine. Program specialists translate scientific developments and innovative procedures into everyday techniques for parents, educators, pediatricians, and other mental health professionals. For more information on children's mental health and related family support programs, come visit the NYU Child Study Center.

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The Emergency Care Institute at Bellevue Hospital offers the following courses:

• Infant and Child CPR
• Adult CPR
• Automated External Defibrillation Training
• First Aid

For further information, please contact Robert Rosenwald at
(212) 562-4916.

Mend-A-Heart
The Mend-A-Heart support group at NYU Hospitals Center provides the opportunity for parents of children with heart disease to discuss issues relevant to their children in a warm, supportive, and relaxed environment. Parents have a chance to discuss topics such as health insurance, medications, school issues, and discipline together. Adolescents and young adults with heart disease are also encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Doris Farrelly or Ronnie Perl at (212) 263-5040. Every year, the Mend-A-Heart party brings reunion and celebration for all of our patients and their families. We feel it is important to give the children a chance to interact with their doctors in a happy environment. At the Teddy Bear Clinic, children have a chance to listen to their bears' hearts and check their blood pressure. Our cardiovascular surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, nurses, and staff delight in seeing the children each year having fun together. There are clowns, games, food, and prizes!!

Neonatal Education and Support Groups
NYU Hospitals Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a special nursery for newborn babies who need medical or surgical care at birth. The NICU is a NYS designated Regional Perinatal Center capable of caring for the most critically ill newborns.  The health care professionals who take care of the babies are highly qualified. The goal of the NICU team is to provide optimal care in a supportive, family-centered environment. The family is an important member of the team as well as an active participant in the care of the child. Family education and discharge planning are an important part of the care provided. Parents meet with the doctors and nurses regularly to discuss their children's medical and developmental progress. In addition, there are family support groups coordinated by the NICU team. Classes are scheduled depending on the needs of individual children. After discharge, we have follow-up programs that include the Neonatal Comprehensive Continuous Care Program (NCCCP) and the Infant Apnea/SIDS Program. These discharge services are provided when recommended by the NICU team. For more information or to have your questions answered, contact the NICU team at (212) 263-5790 or (212) 263-8595.

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Family Bereavement Program
This program is designed to assist patients, families and staff through the end of life process and to provide them with follow-up bereavement services or refer them to the appropriate community resource. The bereavement program provides memory boxes and family resource packets to patients and training to staff. This program provides the following services:

• Parent groups on an outpatient basis for miscarriage, stillbirth, fetal demise, and pediatric death.
• Groups for fathers, surviving siblings and "Straight Talk to Children."
• Resource packets for children as well as parents.
• Yearly Memorial Service.

For more information, contact the Dennis Sklenar, CSW, Department of Social Work at (212) 263-2966.

Pediatric Family Workshop Program
This program is designed for parents and family caregivers of children who are hospitalized at Tisch Hospital for acute medical problems. The workshops are facilitated by a social worker and child life specialist, and are held four times a year. The purpose of the program is to provide families with relevant psychosocial information pertaining to their child's illness and admission to the hospital. It also encourages mutual support. Topics for these workshops include: "How to talk to your child about their medical condition from a developmental perspective," "Disciplining a child with a chronic illness and making it a positive experience," and "School re-entry after a prolonged illness." These on-going workshops are held during the day at Tisch Hospital. For more information, contact the Department of Social Work at (212) 263-5018.

Pediatric Peace of Mind Program
When your child needs surgery, you need some "Peace of Mind." The Peace of Mind Program provides support to families prior to their child's admission to the hospital for medical or surgical care. The services include:

• A pediatric information line (212-263-1100) for answers to non-medical questions (ex. What should I bring for my child?, Can I stay overnight?, etc.)
• Information packets for Day Surgery, Inpatient Surgery, and Epilepsy patients
• A pre-admission tour for children and families
• A Child Life Website

For more information, contact Child Life Services at (212) 263-1100.

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Spanish-Speaking Support Group for Oncology Patients
The mission of the Pediatric Oncology Program is to provide comprehensive, compassionate patient care of the highest quality for children and adolescents with cancer, incorporating innovative and multidisciplinary research and education. In addition to the medical services provided, a Spanish-speaking support group has been established to bring family members together. For more information, contact Dr. Eduvigis Cruz, at 212-263-8557.

"Straight Talk to Children"
"Straight Talk to Children" is a consultation service for parents and caregivers of children who...

- wonder how to talk to children about illness and death.
- want to know what words to use when talking to children about these issues.
- wonder how children perceive these issues from a developmental perspective.

This program can help you feel comfortable having these important conversations with your children. You will speak to a healthcare worker who has experience in child development and counseling families who have a health crisis.

For more information, please contact Dennis Sklenar, CSW at the Social Work Department, NYU Medical Center, at (212) 263-5018 to arrange for a consultation or to obtain more information about this program.

There is no fee for this consultation service.

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Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine Support Programs
Patient and family education activities are an integral part of the rehabilitation experience. Parents are counseled on the nature of their child's disability and how best to cope with the problems associated with nurturing a child with a disability, including the physical, psychological, social, and financial aspects of care.

Support groups are available for patients' families. In addition, a special program has been developed for siblings. This program provides a supportive forum for exploration and discussion of thoughts, feelings, hopes, and fears related to being the "well" child in a family where a sibling has special needs. For more information on the programs and support groups available in the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, contact the Patient Education Department at (212) 263-6987.