The values that parents find most important during decision-making regarding delivery room resuscitation may not be addressed routinely in prenatal counseling. Parents and physicians may have different interpretations of what is discussed and what decisions are made. Future work should investigate whether physicians can be trained to address effectively parents' values during the decision-making process and whether addressing these values may improve physician-parent communication and lead to better postdecision outcomes for parents.

Mothers perceived that a consultation with a neonatologist, which included a NICU tour, prepared them for the perinatal course. Parents want realistic medical information, specific to their situation, provided in an empathetic manner and want to be allowed to hope for the best possible outcome.

Transfer of infants to a CH from an RR-NICU for convalescent care has become routine but may place infants at risk. Our study indicates room for improvement by both CHs and RR-NICUs in the care of transferred VLBW infants.

Objective: To characterize parents' perception of back-transport of verylow-birth-weight (VLBW) infants from a regional referral neonatal intensive care unit (RR-NICU) to a community hospital (CH) for convalescent care.Study Design: Mixed methods utilizing parental interview and medical record review.Result: Overall, 20% of parents selected the CH to which their child was transferred. Less than half of the parents wanted the transfer. Psychological comfort with the RR-NICU was the most frequently reported reason for opposing transfer. At the time of home discharge, most parents were satisfied with the transfer and felt prepared to care for their infant at home. Conclusion:Parents want their infants closer to home, but are worried about the unknown. They are willing to forfeit autonomy in decisionmaking regarding the site of convalescent care. Parents need better preparation for transfer. Including them in an advisory group that reviews transfer policies could ameliorate the transition.