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Review
. 2015 Dec;35 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S24-8.
doi: 10.1038/jp.2015.146.

NICU discharge planning and beyond: recommendations for parent psychosocial support

I B Purdy  1 , J W Craig  2 , P Zeanah  3
Affiliations
Review

NICU discharge planning and beyond: recommendations for parent psychosocial support

I B Purdy et al. J Perinatol. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Parents will interact with a multitude of teams from various disciplines during their child's admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Recognition of the emotional stressors experienced by these parents is a first step in working to provide the crucial support and parenting skills needed for bonding and caring for their infant from admission through discharge and beyond. Family-centered care involves time-sensitive two-way communication between parents and the multidisciplinary team members who coordinate care transition by providing emotional, educational, medical and home visitor support for these families. To do this well, a thoughtful exchange of information between team members and parents is essential to identify psychosocial stress and ameliorate family concerns. Parents will need emotional and educational support and follow-up resources. Establishing individualized, flexible but realistic, pre- and post-discharge plans with parents is needed to start their healthy transition to home and community.

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References

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