Reading Aloud with Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Unit-Based Program to Enhance Language Enrichment and Support Early Foundational Relationships

Objective Early meaningful auditory experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) enhance language outcomes and promote cognitive and social-emotional development. Methods This is a descriptive report sharing our level III NICU experience of building a reading-aloud enrichment program with the goals of enhancing infant neurodevelopment and strengthening early parent-infant relationships. Results We propose a roadmap for program development, outline challenges and possible ways to mitigate them, and highlight opportunities for further research in this area. Key Points Early auditory experiences enhance language, cognitive, and social-emotional development. High-risk infants experience an atypical neurosensory environment while receiving care in the NICU. Reading aloud in the NICU enhances language enrichment and supports early foundational relationships. We describe our center's experience with building a reading-aloud enrichment program in the NICU.