When a Baby Is Sent Away: Evidence to Support Best Practice After Neonatal Transport.

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Maternal-fetal medicine
• Psychosocial aspects of healthcare

Background:

• Neonatal transport is common, moving infants from birth hospitals to specialized care centers.
• Early mother-neonate separation disrupts crucial bonding and can affect long-term relationships.
• Understanding maternal experiences is vital for supportive care during neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) transfers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing literature on mothers' experiences when their neonates require transfer to a tertiary NICU.
• To identify evidence-based practices that support mothers during this stressful period.

Main Methods:

• Literature synthesis and review of studies focusing on maternal experiences.
• Identification of common themes and challenges reported by mothers.
• Extraction of recommended practices from the reviewed literature.

Main Results:

• Mothers experience significant emotional distress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness during neonatal transport.
• Lack of information and involvement in the transfer process exacerbates maternal distress.
• Mothers desire continued connection and information about their neonate's condition and care.

Conclusions:

• Addressing maternal psychosocial needs during neonatal transport is critical.
• Implementing evidence-based practices can mitigate negative impacts on maternal well-being and the mother-child relationship.
• Further research should focus on developing and evaluating interventions to support mothers during neonatal NICU transfers.