In Our Midst
The Long-Term Impact of Neonatal Intensive Care
By Richard Kahn
with the Ethics Institute at Dartmouth College and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

"When the staff of the NICU discharged our child, it was though they were waving goodbye at the dock. We had to make the voyage on our own." Mother of a NICU graduate

Each year, the lives of thousands of premature newborns are saved by neonatal intensive care. The press and broadcast media celebrate these "miracle babies." But what is life like for the children, who often leave the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with multiple medical problems and developmental challenges? What is life like for their families? Filmmaker Richard Kahn spent almost a year living with one such family. Their four children (three natural, one adopted) are all "graduates" of the NICU, and they represent a range of outcomes, from unimpaired survival to serious physical and learning deficits. Capturing the family's extraordinary mutual devotion as well as the burdens of an unending regimen of care, In Our Midst provides a glimpse into the little explored impact of modern medical technology.

56 minutes
© 2002
Purchase $248.00 DVD
Order No. QA-356
ISBN (DVD) 1-57295-909-6

Reviews
"Producer/director Richard Kahn has produced a clean, professional program that presents the facts about life with special needs kids in a way that is honest, upfront, and achingly real. He has painted a portrait of an extraordinary family dealing with society and our institutions, both good and bad, and shining with the resiliency of the human spirit." Educational Media Reviews

Awards & Conference Screenings
Institute on Family-Centered Care
AAMR Spirituality Division Video Festival
Association for Practical and Professional Ethics
Honorable Mention, Columbus International
Film and Video Festival

Related Films
Dreams and Dilemmas: Follows a couple and their premature twins during six months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as it explores ethical dilemmas raised by advances in neonatal medicine.

When Parents Can't Fix It: Looks at the stresses and rewards in the lives of five families who are raising children with disabilities. A realistic look at different family strengths and coping styles.

24/7: Profiles two families exhausted by the struggle to provide all day, every day care for their developmentally disabled adult children at home, while simultaneously battling for the help and resources they need. How long can they do it alone?

A Chance to Grow: Follows three families whose babies are in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Their stories demonstrate the capacity of ordinary individuals to adapt to crises with extraordinary grace and courage.

Refrigerator Mothers: From the 1950's through the 1970's, autism was widely blamed on cold and rejecting mothers. This film explores the devastating impact of this misdiagnosis through the stories of seven mothers and their children.

Don't Give Up: A year in the life of a four-year-old who has autism, focusing on a special therapy program designed to break through Adrian's communications barriers.

To rent or purchase this film, please visit the Icarus Films website

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