For the fifth year in a row, staff, patients, and families of the Clarke Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital are taking part in a friendly competition in September to see which NICUs can read to their patients the most.
The Babies with Books Read-a-thon, held Sept.14-24, is a worldwide competition among NICUs to foster literacy and connection through reading. In 2025, nearly 250 NICUs participated, totaling 73,817 reading sessions during the event.
According to neonatal specialists at Moore Regional, reading to premature babies provides many benefits for patients and families alike.
“NICU reading promotes infant brain development, fosters family bonding, and decreases infant and parental stress related to intensive care hospitalization,” said Laura Valleni, M.D., neonatologist at Moore Regional. “We’re thrilled to participate in this program again and further support our NICU babies and their families.”
Since launching Babies with Books in 2022, Moore Regional has established a reading nook with a NICU book library so that books are always available to be read to the babies and help with their development.
NICU babies at Moore Regional also receive two books to take home. Additionally, parents are encouraged to sign up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. As part of this program, the Moore County Partners for Children and Families generously provide preschoolers in our community with their own Imagination Library and one new book every month until their fifth birthday.
“We’re thankful for the generosity of our community partners to support early literacy,” added Dr. Valleni. “Encouraging early literacy promotes early brain development, family integrated care and bonding while babies are in the NICU. Together, we are creating a positive experience for our families that will have a lasting impact on our youngest patients.”
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Via FirstHealth of the Carolinas.
