NIDCAP Profile: Dominque Haumont PhD

Abstract

Dominique Haumont has been a trendsetter and a visionary when individualized, developmental care was not typical in most Belgian Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICU), or for that matter, in many NICUs worldwide. I have watched in amazement at how she has uniquely and sensitively brought about changes in her own hospital, in her country and in international settings. The vision of making sure babies and their mothers are never separated, her original goal, reflects an inspiration and has now been realized through her efforts over the last three decades. Her novel and progressive approaches to making system change happen have been not only effective, but have given us a template for what can be achieved. They are reflective of our collective knowledge that change does not hap-pen fast, but with perseverance and sensitivity it can be accomplished. We have much to learn from her stories of accomplishments, her perseverance and her ability to think “outside the box”. She is an enabler, a visionary and a true friend. Thank you, Dominique, for sharing the story of your journey with us.