What the parents of premature babies want to know about the best way to care for their child in a neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Parents of a premature baby who has to be looked after in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) face many challenges, and need special skills.

The most important role here is played by the nursing team. It is part of their job to answer parents’ questions. This applies particularly to feeding and care issues. A considerate and supportive conversation between parents and nursing team goes a long way to helping the former feel confident about contact with their premature infant, and to equipping them with all the skills they need to care for their baby in the period after hospitalisation.

Background

Caring for and dealing with a premature baby presents parents with a number of - usually - unexpected challenges. It is hardly surprising that the parents of premature infants that have to be cared for in a NICU require a great deal of information. They want to know the best way to feed¹  and care for²  their baby, as well as the prognosis for their baby while they are in intensive care.³ The nursing team in this type of ICU therefore plays a central role in involving parents in the care of their baby, and teaching them the skills they need to provide the best possible care for their child – even after discharge from hospital.^4,5 It is particularly important that the nursing team and the parents of premature babies have a good understanding.

Methods

Data for this mixed-method secondary analysis were obtained from a multi-centre, exploratory, prospective sequential cohort study, which examined family-integrated care in a NICU.⁶  Data from six different (USA) regions and different NICUs was analysed. The parents of babies born in the 33rd week of pregnancy or earlier were included in the study. The primary aim of the analysis was to describe the needs of parents of premature babies and the skills they need to acquire. The overall objective of the study is to improve communication between nursing team and parents in the course of caring for premature babies in the intensive care unit, thereby imparting certain skills, ready for when the babies are discharged from the neonatal ICU.

Findings

• The parents of premature babies want valid information on a range of issues. The most important include feeding and caring for their infant, as well the infant’s prognosis.
• These needs change in the course of the time the premature baby spends in the NICU.
• The issues that interest parents most vary according to the age of the parents, their earlier parental experiences, the gestational age when the premature birth took place, and the length of time the baby spends in the intensive care unit.
• The age, gender and education of parents at the time of the premature birth determine which and how many parental skills they acquire during the time spent in the NICU.
• The parents of premature babies give top priority to information they can relate to.⁷
• Data from earlier studies shows that the parents of premature babies have a lot of unanswered questions, both while their baby is in the intensive care unit and following discharge.⁸
• The findings of this study can be used to develop better programmes for the parents of premature babies, thereby ensuring that parents are best-prepared to care for their baby at home, after discharge.

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