Heart-shaped cloths carrying the scent of moms and dads help soothe NICU babies, promote bonding

CHICAGO - First the new mother feared for the survival and long-term health of her twin boys, born precariously early and taken straight to the neonatal intensive care unit before she could hold them.

Then came a lingering worry the babies wouldn't know her as their mother.

"Sometimes I wonder if they think the nurses are their moms or if they know who we are," said Brooke Crutchfield, whose sons have spent the past eight weeks in the NICU at Rush University Medical Center.

Yet Crutchfield takes comfort in a small piece of fabric she leaves behind in each of their cribs after visiting - a 6-inch handmade cotton heart that carries her scent so the babies can sense her presence even when she has to be away from their bedside.