AUSTIN (KXAN) — Newborn babies in the neonatal intensive care unit are getting an extra assist to help with their early brain development.

At Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, a unique initiative involves community members, staff, and families reading continuously to newborns during their initial days of life.

This effort aims to bridge the language exposure gap between infants needing extended hospital stays and those discharged soon after birth.

“Babies in the NICU, on average, hear about 10,000 to 20,000 less words per day,” said Neuro NICU Program Director Dr. Ashley Lucke.

Instead of parents and siblings talking, singing, and reading, Dr. Lucke said NICU babies hear a lot of alarms, beeps, and monitors.

To counteract the extended periods of hospital noise, the medical center is participating in a national effort to provide ample reading time to the babies.

Dr. Lucke mentioned that their Babies with Books read-a-thon is dedicated to maximizing the positive verbal and language interactions for the newborns.

local affiliate KXAN staff was among the community members invited to come in with a favorite children’s book and read.

On sibling day, hospital staff enhanced comfort in the waiting area by adding instruments, art supplies, and a collection of books for older siblings to enjoy reading.

“It introduces a touch of normalcy to the NICU,” stated NICU Clinical Manager Melissa Marnell. “This initiative simulates the home environment, encourages reading to your baby, fosters bonding, and expands the number of words they hear, which is beneficial for brain development.”

Roughly 300 hospitals are participating in the two-week read-a-thon, while engaging in a friendly competition to see who can read to their babies the most.

After the first week, the hospital already logged more than 190 people reading for more than 4,000 combined minutes.

The goal is to finish in the top 30 of hospitals nationwide, a feat Dell Children’s was able to accomplish last year.

“We’re trying as hard as we can through the neuro NICU program here at Dell Children’s to create an environment to give them the absolute best possible outcome and the best brain health for their life,” Dr. Lucke said.