Facilitation of parenting the premature infant within the newborn intensive care unit

Abstract

A challenge facing neonatal health care providers is to combine technological intensive care for preterm infants with a sensitive and individualized approach facilitating neurobehavioral development while supporting parents in their roles as primary advocates and long-term caregivers. This exploratory study evaluated an individualized nursing intervention based on underlying assumptions of both infant and parent competence. The intervention enhanced parents' ability to appraise their infant's behavior critically and respond in a supportive manner. Study findings provide valuable information on the implications of an individualized nursing intervention both for further research and clinical practice.