Recruiting bereaved parents for research after infant death in the neonatal intensive care unit

Area of Science:

• Perinatal grief research
• Qualitative research methodologies
• Healthcare services improvement

Background:

• Understanding parental experiences after infant death in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is crucial for enhancing health services.
• Recruiting bereaved parents for sensitive grief research presents significant challenges, with limited literature on effective strategies.
• Identifying factors influencing participation is essential for adequate sample acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a successful recruitment process for a qualitative study on parental experiences and grief following infant death in the NICU.
• To detail strategies for enrolling hard-to-reach populations, including fathers, minorities, and lower socioeconomic groups.
• To address the gap in literature regarding recruitment in perinatal grief research.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of a specific recruitment plan for bereaved parents.
• Qualitative data collection focusing on NICU experiences and grief responses.
• Analysis of participation factors and demographic representation.

Main Results:

• Successful enrollment of diverse participants, including fathers, minority individuals, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Demonstration of effective strategies for recruiting difficult-to-reach populations in sensitive research.
• Identification of participant benefits outweighing harms, addressing a critical literature gap.

Conclusions:

• Recruitment of bereaved parents from the NICU is feasible and essential for gaining valuable insights into infant death.
• The described recruitment strategies can inform future research on perinatal grief and parental experiences.
• Further research involving bereaved parents is vital for improving support and healthcare services in the NICU.