Other content tagged: NICU
The challenges of breastfeeding a preterm infant: Exploring cue-based breastfeeding practices across Europe
Regular skin-to-skin contact and exclusive breastfeeding are important measures to promote newborn health and development. However, preterm infants face challenges as they may not be mature enough to be breastfed. One method proven successful in introducing breastfeeding for preterm newborns is cue-based breastfeeding. Instead of feeding at scheduled times, the newborn indicates when they are ready for breastfeeding, making it individually adapted to the specific needs of each preterm infant. A new…
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Telemedicine in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU): The potential and limitations of eHealth applications to support parents of hospitalised infants
Anxiety and stress are common feelings for parents of newborns being hospitalised in the NICU, reducing their mental health. Subsequently, this can reduce the parents’ wellbeing and even negatively impact the development of the child. To support parents during this stressful time, telemedicine interventions have been investigated for their effect on parental mental health. A recent study evaluated all kinds of eHealth applications available to parents, such as bedside cameras, supportive apps,…
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The neglected sibling? – Investigating the implications of having a preterm born sibling on the quality of life of the term born sibling
Siblings are one’s first peer group experience. Growing up, they contribute greatly to identity building and childhood development. However, there is little data on how having a preterm child affects the lives of term born siblings. A study from Finland therefore reviewed the available data to investigate the siblings’ quality of life after the birth of a preterm newborn. The study revealed that the absence of the mother and father for their…
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Improving therapeutic hypothermia for newborns by keeping parents close to their newborns
Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the standard treatment for perinatal asphyxia. A Swedish study explores the integration of parent-infant closeness during TH, highlighting the benefits of combining TH with family-centred care. Through interviews with NICU staff in Sweden, the research underscores the importance of standardised routines, supportive care environments, and parental involvement to enhance the effectiveness of TH and improve outcomes for infants and their families. Understanding therapeutic hypothermia Therapeutic Hypothermia (TH) involves lowering a newborn’s…
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The power of developmental care – exploring the mechanisms to shorten Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hospitalisation
Developmental care is an approach to improve the care of infants hospitalised in a NICU. It includes measures to adapt the NICU environment to be more patient-friendly, foster parental involvement in care, increase oral immune therapy and exclusive breastfeeding. A new study conducted in 14 hospitals in China and including more than 1,300 low birth weight infants highlights the promising outcomes of developmental care. Most significantly, the length of hospitalisation was markedly shorter…
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Counteracting the challenging Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) environment: The SENSE programme provides a neurobehavioral approach
A stay in the NICU is a challenging experience for both parents and their hospitalised infants. The adverse environment can have a negative impact on the neonate’s neurological development as well as the parents’ mental health. One solution aimed at counteracting these negative effects is to improve the sensory experience in the NICU. The SENSE programme can be implemented in any NICU and provides guidance for healthcare professionals and parents to enable better care…
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Neo-CamCare – supporting family-centred care through technological advancements
“Before I go to sleep, I quickly check on my son. When I see him lying there so peacefully, it calms me down.” – Parent statement Family separation in the NICU Newborns with special care needs, especially preterm infants and those born with congenital malformations or complications, are usually cared for in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), often for extended periods of time. Many parents struggle with feelings of guilt or anxiety when leaving their newborn in the NICU to…
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Putting the preterm infant in the centre of all care: Impressions from Erasmus Hospital, Brussels
Guest article by Lívia Nagy Bonnard, founding member of “Melletted a helyem Egyesület” – “Right(s) Beside You Association” in English – and a member of the Parent, Patient and Public Advisory Board of the European Standards of Care for Newborn Health (ESCNH). During each NICU visit, I think to myself, “If my son had been treated here, in this ward, as an extremely preterm baby, how different – or better – would my NICU experience have been? Would there have…
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Mother-Newborn Couplet Care: Recommendations to implement and improve coupled care from Nordic practice
As preterm newborns and mothers have different medical needs, they are usually treated on different wards. However, the concept of mother-newborn coupled care breaks with that tradition and instead keeps them together throughout their hospitalization. This allows for immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth, a higher quality of care, and lower rates of morbidity and mortality for the infant. The concept is already well-established in Swedish and Finish maternity hospitals and serves as a…
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Examining the positive effects of family involvement at the neonatal intensive care unit for newborns and their parents
The stay in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) demands a lot from new parents. The physical and emotional separation between the newborn and their parents often creates feelings of helplessness and stress. Family-centred care (FCC) concepts can help to improve the parents’ mental well-being and the infant’s physical health. The FCC intervention enables parents to be with their child at any time and empowers them to care for their newborn. It also involves…
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