Bonding in neonatal intensive care units: Experiences of extremely preterm infants' mothers.

The Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU) is a well-validated tool to assess different sources of stress in parents during the NICU hospitalization of their infant. The present meta-analytic study assessed the relative impact of different NICU-related sources of parental stress in a pool of studies conducted in a wide set of different countries. Also, differences in stress levels by parent gender and country, as well as the impact of infants’ neonatal characteristics and clinical conditions were explored. Records were searched on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (January 1993–December 2019). A purposive open search string was adopted: [“PSS:NICU”] OR [“PSS-NICU”] OR [“Parental Stressor Scale”]. A multiple random-effect meta-analysis was conducted on data from 53 studies extracted by independent coders. Parental role alteration emerged as the greatest source of stress for both mothers and fathers. Mothers reported higher stress levels compared to fathers. A significant difference emerged only for the subscale related to sights and sounds physical stimuli. No significant effects of infants’ neonatal characteristics (gestational age, birth weight) and clinical conditions (comorbidities) emerged. A marginal positive effect of NICU length of stay emerged on the global level of parents’ stress. The current meta-analysis underlines that parental stress related to NICU admission is a worldwide healthcare issue. Immediate and tailored support to parents after the birth of their at-risk infant should be prioritized to reduce parental stress and to promote mothers and fathers’ emotional well-being and new-born neurodevelopmental outcomes.

A global perspective on parental stress in the neonatal intensive care unit: a meta-analytic study

Family-Centred Care (FCC) is recognized as an important component of all paediatric care, including neonatal care, although practical clinical guidelines to support this care model are still needed in Italy. The characteristics and services for families in Italian NICUs show a lack of organization and participation. The first aim was to compare satisfaction and stress levels in two groups of parents: an FCC group and a non-FCC group (NFCC). The second aim was to evaluate body weight gain in the newborns enrolled. This non-randomized, prospective cohort pilot study was conducted in a single level III NICU at a hospital in Naples, Italy. A cohort of newborns in the NICU, with their parents were enrolled between March 2014 and April 2015 and they were divided into two groups: the FCC group (enrolled between October 2014 and April 2015) remained in the NICU for 8 h a day with FCC model; the NFCC group (enrolled between March 2014 and September 2014) was granted access to the NICU for only 1 hour per day. At discharge, both parent groups completed the Parental Stressor Scale (PSS)-NICU and a questionnaire to assess their satisfaction. In addition, we compared scores from the mothers and fathers within and between groups and the body weights of the newborns in the two groups at 60 days. Parents participating in the FCC group were more satisfied and less stressed than those in the NFCC group. Infants in the FCC group also showed increased body weight after 60 days of hospital stay. Despite our small population, we confirm that routine adoption of a procedure designed to apply a FCC model can contribute to improving satisfaction and distress among preterm infants’ parents. Future multi-centre, randomized, controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

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Supporting parents in taking care of their infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit: a prospective cohort pilot study

Patients and users experiences are useful for monitoring the quality of the hospital provisions and to improve health care delivery. Research results on associations between parental satisfaction and their socio-demographic status are inconclusive. We have also found a scarcity of research on the associations between parental satisfaction and standards of neonatal intensive care (NICU) services. We used the Neonatal Satisfaction Survey (NSS-8) to collect data to explore associations between parental satisfaction and socio-demographic variables and, associations between parents’ satisfaction and NICU care-services. A total of 568 parents from six different NICUs geographically dispersed in Norway completed the (NSS-8). All responses were rated and analysed using nonparametric analyses and logistic regression. Support from families and friends is the most important sociodemographic area which links to reported levels of parental satisfaction. The most important areas for parents’ satisfaction with NICU care services include the decision making processes regarding the infant, respect and empathy from staff, and the continuity of treatment and care. Parents were least satisfied with how NICUs facilitate ongoing care for siblings, parents and infants during later stages of their hospital stay. Parents reported being in need of more guidance and training in meeting their child’s needs. To increase and sustain parents’ satisfaction with NICU care considerations should be given to separate elements of the total provision made for affected families. This study suggests that health personnel could address the needs of all family members as these evolve through phases of their stays in hospitals; be more attentive to parents with very preterm infants and parents with long NICU admissions; provide support to siblings; and give more attention to parents’ needs for continuity of care, follow-up, and information.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12913-018-3854-7.pdf

Parental satisfaction with neonatal intensive care units: a quantitative cross-sectional study

Family Integrated Care (FIC) is a new model of neonatal care which supports parents to be primary caregivers, as partners with the clinical team.1 

The inspiration for FIC comes from lower resource settings where families provide care through necessity rather than choice.2 3 This approach has been adapted for modern neonatal intensive care by pioneering FIC teams in Canada, Scandinavia and the UK. Trials in preterm infants have demonstrated improved rate of weight gain, reduced parental stress and shorter length of stay.4 5 By supporting and combining the benefits of breast feeding, kangaroo mother care (KMC) and parental presence, FIC may have even greater long-term benefits for infants and their families.6 

FIC builds on the foundations of Family-Centred Care, a well-established approach with accepted standards supported by Unicef and the neonatal charity Bliss.7 8 FIC takes parental involvement to a new level placing families at the centre of care and empowering them as primary caregivers (table 1).

View this table:

Table 1 
Comparison of FCC and FIC at RHC, Glasgow



Though the concept of FIC is intuitive and the potential benefits compelling, delivering this model of care may be challenging. We took on this challenge in our neonatal unit, the largest unit in Scotland with approximately 1000 admissions per year and over 200 staff. Our patients include extremely preterm infants as well as those requiring specialist medical and surgical care including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Implementing FIC in a unit of this size and diversity has its own specific challenges, but has been hugely rewarding. In this article, we share our approach and lessons learnt, and describe the transformative effect on families and staff.

FIC means not just physically involving families, but equally importantly changing the culture and relationships with staff.9 10 

Staff engagement is potentially the greatest challenge. FIC requires a …

https://adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/early/2017/11/09/archdischild-2017-313282.full.pdf

Family Integrated Care: changing the culture in the neonatal unit

Aims and objectives

To determine the feasibility and utility of a thematic analysis approach to synthesising qualitative evidence about parental experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit.



Background

Admission of infants to the neonatal intensive care unit is usually an unexpected event for parents who can cause them to experience psychosocial difficulties. A qualitative systematic review is the best method for exploring these parents’ experiences regarding this type of admission.



Design

Systematic review.



Methods

Qualitative studies in peer-reviewed journals aimed at understanding parental experiences regarding infant neonatal intensive care unit admission were identified in six electronic databases. Three reviewers selected relevant articles and assessed the quality of the methodological studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify the most common themes in the studies describing parental experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit.



Results

A total of eighty articles were identified; nine studies were included in this review. Four studies used semistructured interviews, three used interviews, one used self-reporting and one used both focus group and interview methodologies. Common themes across parents’ experiences were the stress of hospitalisation, alteration in parenting roles and the impact of infant hospitalisation on psychological health.



Conclusion

Having an infant hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit is a stressful experience for parents. This experience is the result of exposure to different stressors related to the infant's condition, an alteration in parenting roles or the neonatal intensive care unit environment and staffing. These parents suffered negative psychological effects, experienced an interrupted development of a healthy parent–infant attachment and/or felt parental role alteration.



Relevance to clinical practice

The study's findings are crucial for neonatal intensive care unit nurses to develop intervention strategies and programmes that help parents to decrease the stress of their experience and to support them in facing this stressful situation.

Systematic review of qualitative studies exploring parental experiences in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Sleep Disturbance among Jordanian Mothers and Fathers of Infants Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Preliminary Study

Dua'a Fayiz Al Maghaireh

Papers

Systematic review of qualitative studies exploring parental experiences in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Sleep Disturbance among Jordanian Mothers and Fathers of Infants Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Preliminary Study