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Parent-Infant Closeness, Parents' Participation, and Nursing Support in Single-Family Room and Open Bay NICUs
Bente Silnes Tandberg1, Kathrine Frey Frøslie, Renée Flacking
1Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Drammen Hospital, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway (Drs Tandberg and Moen); Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway (Ms Tandberg); Norwegian Resource Centre for Women's Health (Dr Frøslie) and Department of Neonatology (Dr Moen), Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway; School of Education, Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden (Dr Flacking); Department of Pediatrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway (Ms Grundt); and Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland (Dr Lehtonen).
Insights
Single-family room (SFR) neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) enhance parent-infant closeness and participation in medical care compared to open bay (OB) units. Parents in SFR NICUs reported better emotional support and increased presence with their infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Design
- Parent-Infant Bonding
- Neonatal Nursing Support
Background:
- Parental presence and involvement are crucial for infant well-being in the NICU.
- Traditional open bay NICU designs may limit parental engagement and bonding.
- Single-family room (SFR) NICUs are increasingly adopted to improve family-centered care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare parent-infant closeness, parental perceptions of nursing support, and participation in medical rounds between single-family room (SFR) and open bay (OB) NICUs.
- To assess nurses' perceptions of support provided in SFR versus OB NICU settings.
- To evaluate the impact of NICU design on parental engagement and skin-to-skin care (SSC).
Main Methods:
- Prospective survey study involving 115 parents and 129 nurses.
- Data collected via text messages and internet-based questionnaires.
- Measured parental presence, skin-to-skin care (SSC) duration and initiation, parental perceptions of support, and participation in medical rounds.
Main Results:
- Parents in SFR NICUs demonstrated significantly higher daily presence (20 vs 7 hours for mothers, 8 vs 4 hours for fathers).
- SFR mothers initiated SSC earlier (4 vs 12 hours) and performed it longer (180 vs 120 min/24h).
- SFR parents reported higher satisfaction with medical round participation and emotional support, though nurses rated parental trust higher in OB units.
Conclusions:
- Single-family room NICU environments significantly facilitate greater parent-infant closeness and parental involvement in care.
- SFR design positively impacts parental experience by enhancing presence, skin-to-skin contact, and perceived nursing support.
- NICU design is a critical factor in promoting family-centered care and improving outcomes for preterm infants and their families.
Abstract:
This was a prospective survey study, comparing parent-infant closeness, parents' perceptions of nursing support, and participation in medical rounds in single-family room (SFR) and an open bay (OB) neonatal intensive care units. Nurses' assessments of provided support were also measured. In total, 115 parents of 64 preterm infants less than 35 weeks' gestational age and 129 nurses participated. Parents recorded the presence and skin-to-skin care. Parents were sent 9 text message questions in random order. Nurses answered corresponding Internet-based questions. SFR mothers were more present, 20 hours daily (median) versus 7 hours (P < .001), initiated skin-to-skin contact (SSC) at 4 versus 12 hours (P = .03), and preformed SSC 180 min/24 h versus 120 min/24 h for mothers in the OB unit (P = .02). SFR fathers were also more present, 8 versus 4 hours (P < .001), initiated SSC at 3 versus 40 hours (P = .004), and performed SSC 67 min/24 h versus 31 min/24 h (P = .05). SFR parents rated participation in medical rounds and emotional support higher than OB parents. Parental trust was rated higher by nurses in the OB unit (P = .02). SFR facilitated parent-infant closeness, parents' participation in medical rounds, and increased support from nurses.