Abrazo Arrowhead Campus in Glendale joined the International Read-a-Thon initiative, for the third year in a row, to encourage reading to infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to promote healthy development and strengthen family connections.

September is national NICU Awareness Month, so Abrazo Arrowhead nurses have shared children’s books with families and encouraging daily reading at babies’ bedsides.

“I really like having books and reading them, it feels like you’re bonding with him. Dad read eight books to him in a row,” stated Areanna Mueller in a press release.

Mueller's baby was born prematurely and was in the NICU for 42 days.   

“When a parent reads to their baby in the NICU, they're doing so much more than just reciting words from a book. They're creating a moment of normalcy in a very clinical, often overwhelming environment,” stated Ramya Kumar, Developmental Coordinator, Abrazo Arrowhead NICU. 

The read-a-thon brings together parents, nurses, physicians, therapists, and even nursing students at hospitals across the country.

NICU babies can face unique challenges—ranging from prematurity and critical illness to prolonged hospital stays—and are at higher risk of developmental delays. Abrazo Arrowhead’s efforts to introduce language and literacy early provide families with a practical way to support growth and bonding.

“Even if they don't understand the words, hearing language and different tones stimulates a baby's brain and helps build those crucial neural pathways. It's a key part of setting them up for future language, literacy, and cognitive skills,” Kumar stated.