Other content tagged: NICU
The power of developmental care – exploring the mechanisms to shorten Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hospitalisation
Developmental care is an approach to improve the care of infants hospitalised in a NICU. It includes measures to adapt the NICU environment to be more patient-friendly, foster parental involvement in care, increase oral immune therapy and exclusive breastfeeding. A new study conducted in 14 hospitals in China and including more than 1,300 low birth weight infants highlights the promising outcomes of developmental care. Most significantly, the length of hospitalisation was markedly shorter…
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Counteracting the challenging Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) environment: The SENSE programme provides a neurobehavioral approach
A stay in the NICU is a challenging experience for both parents and their hospitalised infants. The adverse environment can have a negative impact on the neonate’s neurological development as well as the parents’ mental health. One solution aimed at counteracting these negative effects is to improve the sensory experience in the NICU. The SENSE programme can be implemented in any NICU and provides guidance for healthcare professionals and parents to enable better care…
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Neo-CamCare – supporting family-centred care through technological advancements
“Before I go to sleep, I quickly check on my son. When I see him lying there so peacefully, it calms me down.” – Parent statement Family separation in the NICU Newborns with special care needs, especially preterm infants and those born with congenital malformations or complications, are usually cared for in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), often for extended periods of time. Many parents struggle with feelings of guilt or anxiety when leaving their newborn in the NICU to…
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Putting the preterm infant in the centre of all care: Impressions from Erasmus Hospital, Brussels
Guest article by Lívia Nagy Bonnard, founding member of “Melletted a helyem Egyesület” – “Right(s) Beside You Association” in English – and a member of the Parent, Patient and Public Advisory Board of the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH). During each NICU visit, I think to myself, “If my son had been treated here, in this ward, as an extremely preterm baby, how different – or better – would my NICU experience have been? Would there have…
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Mother-Newborn Couplet Care: Recommendations to implement and improve coupled care from Nordic practice
As preterm newborns and mothers have different medical needs, they are usually treated on different wards. However, the concept of mother-newborn coupled care breaks with that tradition and instead keeps them together throughout their hospitalization. This allows for immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth, a higher quality of care, and lower rates of morbidity and mortality for the infant. The concept is already well-established in Swedish and Finish maternity hospitals and serves as a…
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Examining the positive effects of family involvement at the neonatal intensive care unit for newborns and their parents
The stay in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) demands a lot from new parents. The physical and emotional separation between the newborn and their parents often creates feelings of helplessness and stress. Family-centred care (FCC) concepts can help to improve the parents’ mental well-being and the infant’s physical health. The FCC intervention enables parents to be with their child at any time and empowers them to care for their newborn. It also involves…
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PICAPP – An app to support the development of preterm babies
Guest article by Livia Nagy, founder of “Right(s) beside you Association” (“Melletted a helyem Egyesület”) One in 11 newborns in Hungary is born preterm. Families are caught unprepared facing preterm birth and one of the main objectives of the “Right(s) beside you Association” (“Melletted a helyem Egyesület”) is to support parents in this unexpected life situation from the very beginning in the NICU. Lack of information but also fears from inappropriate internet materials further complicate the situation for parents. The…
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Exploring Parental Bereavement Support in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
A recent systematic review from Canada explored parental experiences and bereavement in the NICU, shedding light on the challenges of infant loss. Healthcare professionals are crucial in supporting parents, which can be done by facilitating meaningful moments and using clear communication. Strategies like shared decision-making, parental involvement in activities, and bonding time were also found to help with grief. Other resources like spiritual care and counselling are also essential. Understanding parents' needs in neonatal loss…
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Impact of a sensory-based intervention in the NICU on parents and their preterm born babies
35 families received the Supporting and Enhancing Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Sensory Experiences (SENSE) programme-based intervention. The preterm born babies (≤ 32 weeks of pregnancy) experienced sensory exposures like human touch or massage on each day of their NICU hospitalisation. The main aim of the study was to find out whether it makes a difference who is performing (parents vs. volunteers/professionals) the sensory activity regarding the babies' neurobehaviour and parental mental health. In the…
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Experience of a Mother‑Newborn Care Unit (MNCU) in India – A successful example of Zero Separation
In the iKMC study, the effect of immediate kangaroo mother care (KMC) was investigated. Researchers implemented new facilities where sick and small newborns resided with their mothers 24/7 and were encouraged to practice immediate KMC. This new concept showed better health outcomes for the mother and the baby, including a 25% lower death rate during the first 28 days of life. Zero separation…
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