Parent Experiences in the NICU and Transition to Home

Abstract

Families (n = 12) with infants born at <29 weeks gestation shared their experiences while in the NICU and transitioning home. Parents were interviewed 6–8 weeks after NICU discharge, including some during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings regarding the parent experience in the NICU were focused around challenges navigating parent-infant separation, social isolation, communication difficulties, limited knowledge of preterm infants, mental health challenges. Parents also discussed supports that were present and supports they wished were present, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on their experiences. In the transition to home, primary experiences included the sudden nature of the transition, anxiety around discharge preparation, and the loss of the support from nursing staff. During the first few weeks at home, parents expressed joy and anxiety, particularly around feeding. The COVID-19 pandemic limited emotional, informational, and physical support to parents and resulted in limited mutual support from other parents of infants in the NICU. Parents of preterm infants in the NICU present with multiple stressors, rendering attending to parental mental health crucial. NICU staff need to address logistical barriers and familial priorities impacting communication and parent-infant bonding. Providing multiple opportunities for communication, participating in caretaking activities, and meeting other families can be important sources of support and knowledge for parents of very preterm infants.

Evaluating the Baby@Home program: Early discharge strategies for (pre)term infants are safe and benefit health outcomes

“…The analysis indicates that the incapacity to participate in caregiving routines can result in a lack of parental self-efficacy and bonding issues. 17 In our study, parents made similar statements.…”

“…For example, early discharge programmes aim to foster family unity and promote infant development and the well-being of both parents and the infant. 3,11,17 Previous studies on the impact of NICU admission on parents have shown that the emotional and physical detachment experienced during the hospital stay exacerbates difficulties in transitioning to a home environment. Spence et al reported that parents reported sentiments of grief concerning the temporal separation from their infants.…”

Influences of a Remote Monitoring Program of Home Nasogastric Tube Feeds on Transition from NICU to Home

“…Finally, NICU discharge and the transition to home, while joyous, has also been described by families to be sudden and anxiety-provoking 34 . Not only do families feel the pressure of now caring for their previously unwell infant in the home, but readmission rates of NICU graduates are, in fact, higher than their term counterparts 35 .…”

NICU Graduates and Psychosocial Problems in Childhood: A Systematic Review

“…Expansion of long-term follow-up services and including other services in and out of the NICU, such as early developmental intervention, mental health services, support groups, and other essential services, might offer needed care to NICU graduates and their families [18]. Environmental changes in the NICU related to noise, light, and humidity are incorporated to avoid any possible stress that may hamper the child's development [1].…”