TOUCH CHANGES EVERYTHING
“A mother’s arms are made of tenderness
and children sleep soundly in them,”
--Victor Hugo
The Zaky HUG is engineered to relax, position, give comfort, and support sleep to babies while they are not being held. By providing a loving and ergonomic environment for the baby, and empowering the parent to use it as an extension of their touch and scent, The Zaky HUG works for non-separation even when they are apart.
- NURTURING: Hands connect parents with babies, and the healthcare team use their hands to comfort them. When they cannot be in kangaroo care, The Zaky HUG is there to extend that loving and caring touch. The Zaky HUG includes a high dose of positive parental intervention.
- TWO HANDS are better than one. Especially to provide comfort and positioning. Also, one hand is scented by the dad (to learn the scent as soon as possible), and the other by the mom (to be comforted by the scent the baby knows at birth), when possible.
- SENSE OF PROTECTION: Babies and parents that feel connected and feel a sense of security even when they cannot be together, sleep better. Hands are the best shape to achieve it.
- ATTACHMENT/BONDING: The combination of the shape of the parents' own hands and their scent facilitate the babies to be more relaxed. Improves sleep for babies and parents. Parents scent The Zaky HUG by placing them on the back of the neck or on the chest for an hour or more.
- VERSATILE: the hands are the best tool nurses have to care for the development of the babies. With The Zaky HUG, they can "leave" the babies with the support each baby need.
- SOOTHING: The fingers of the Zaky are effective for the grasp reflex, and also can assist by softly holding a pacifier in place.
- EDUCATION: they simplify training, as the educator uses their own hands to position the baby, then replace the hands with the Zaky - mimicking the hands
- CONTAINMENT: The shape of hands and arms make it easy to shape and select the weight that goes on top of the baby (no more than 15% of the body weight of the baby). The weight is selected by simply shifting the filling.
- INTUITIVE: the shape makes it easier for the healthcare team to use with effective training.
- WARM: The Zaky HUG has a soft fabric that is warm to the touch so the baby does not startle when placed over the skin.
- EASY: Since positioning babies with hands is easy to explain and learn, The Zaky HUG is effective thus there is a higher probability for parents to get involved and learn to care for their babies.
- EVIDENCE BASED: The Zaky HUG is the only neuroprotective care device with positive results in clinical studies. Two different independent studies show the benefits of The Zaky ZAK for improved self-regulation, reduction of apnea/bradycardia, and reduction of pain indicators.
- HOLISTIC: One pair of The Zaky HUG virtually replaces all the developmental care devices (positioners, transitional aids, soothing aids, bonding/attachment aids, nesting, containment/boundaries), and babies get comforted by it. The care is consistent throughout the shift and across shifts by different caregivers.
- REDUCE ERRORS: When many items are used, there is more error introduced to the system (i.e., what product/size to use depending on the baby's weight and condition, and what products can be combined, etc.) With The Zaky HUG, errors from the decision making by "personal preference" for selecting from different devices is eliminated.
- COMFORT: babies and adults sleep better with less interruptions and when the environment is predictable. If the pillow, blanket, or mattress is changed when we want to roll-over, it makes it more difficult to go back to sleep than if the environment stays the same. The Zaky HUG allows for manipulation and repositioning with minimal disruption to the environment. By using The Zaky HUG, the environment is constant so they fall asleep faster, following an intervention.
- EASY POSITIONING: The time to position a baby correctly is reduced when using The Zaky HUG. The operation is quiet, effective, versatile, and user-friendly.
- IMMEDIATE AND QUIET ACCESS: There are no hooks, velcro, knots, to do and undo. There is complete visual access to the baby at all times, including when interventions are performed.
- STANDARD AND CONSISTENT CARE: With one universal size and weight, The Zaky HUG can be manipulated to provide individualized neuroprotective care, independent of the baby's weight, size, or developmental stage. Used in any hospital unit and they for years at home.
- NAS babies, and babies in recovery in NICU, PICU, CICU, and every unit, find the Zaky HUG very soothing.
- NICU VIDEO CAMERAS: it is easier to see a preemie when it has the Zaky HUGs with the baby - especially if they are scented with the parents scent. Seeing the baby calm and sleeping with The Zaky ZAK is known to reduce anxiety for the parent.
One frequently asked question from healthcare professionals is, can the end be changed to a star, and animal, or straight so it doesn't look "freaky"?
The Zaky HUG is made by an engineer and mother that needed to connect with her preemie. The hands are the essence of the Zaky HUG because it is designed not only for the baby but also for the parents. The familiar shape of a hand facilitates connection, touch, and love between baby and the parents. Everything about the NICU is "freaky" for a parent - needles on the baby's head, leads, monitors, needles, alarms. The Zaky HUG is a safe, nurturing device that assist parents feel connected; they easily learn how to take care of their babies in the NICU, be present, and have positive interactions with their babies. Parents love and appreciate the shape of The Zaky HUG as they feel it is an extension of them. When they know the story behind it and learn how easy to scent and use with their babies, they love it even more.