Family-centered developmentally supportive care: the Swedish example

Abstract

The prematurely born infant is probably the most vulnerable patient in our hospitals due to the immaturity of all organ systems including the brain. Over recent years, the importance of neurodevelopmentally supportive care has been clarified. In addition, to provide the best possible treatment and environmental conditions for the vital functions of the infant to properly develop, we also must support the psychological processes of bonding and attachment between parents and their newborn infant, which is so crucial for long-term health and development. By integrating scientific findings from natural and behavioral science in multidisciplinary developmentally supportive intervention programs, recommendations for redesigning nurseries and integrating families have developed to meet these challenges. It not only is "baby- and family-friendly" but also has economic benefits and improves the long-term development of the child. The basis of family-centered developmentally supportive care interventions is the recognition that the newborn infant is a human being in his or her own right, and letting the caregivers be guided by the current needs of the individual infant and family. In this context, the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) is unique since it is the only program designed to be implemented from the moment the infant is born. Different strategies can be used to support the nursing and medical teams to help the family become the primary caregivers of their own infants. Sweden has a long tradition of engaging parents in the actual care and of around-the-clock visiting hours. Nurseries have, or are remodeling to have, the facilities enabling parents to live in the units throughout the entire hospital stay. Skin-to-skin contact is widely implemented. In order to ensure that these strategies are in tune with the individual needs of the infant and the families, all major nurseries have trained NIDCAP professionals. Care and intervention based on the infant's own behavior makes good biological sense and is also ethically attractive.