A NICU admission negatively impacts the ability for parent-infant attachment and connectedness. But, once interventions are identified that effectively promote attachment in NICU families, it fosters advantageous short-and long-term developmental health outcomes and promotes maternal and paternal well-being.
Many parents feel a loss of control and and experience an alteration in their parental role alteration due to the care team members and policies dictating their ability to interact with their own infant. This coupled with the intimidating and foreign NICU environment negatively impacts their ability to bond with their infant. And for children, bonding with a parent is fundamental for appropriate growth and development.
To help mitigate the parent’s feelings of powerlessness which commonly interfere with parental engagement and attachment, a personalized, family-integrated approach that fosters empowerment and actively involves parents in decision-making should be instituted. Caregivers should be considered “essential care partners” at healthcare facilities, not “visitors” but key members of the care team who play a critical role in patient outcomes.
Despite parents being physically separated from their child, supportive tools are now available to ensure that parents remain involved in all aspects of care, ultimately enhancing their connection to their infant. With the use of web-cams and the ability to communicate with parents virtually, it helps to minimize parental stress and foster feelings of connection. As NICU nurses are often the lifeline between the parents and their infant in the NICU, their consistent presence, coupled with holistic, personalized care supported with regular communication, fosters a more trusting relationship with the parents.
Communication from the NICU care team provides the parents comfort and reassurance and assists them with the transition into parenting at home. Once parents are more engaged, it promotes bonding which ultimately helps them to feel more equipped and confident to care for their infant at home resulting in positive overall outcomes for the infant and family.