[The child and parent hospitalised in intensive care]

Area of Science:

• Medical Social Work
• Pediatric Critical Care

Background:

• Intensive care units (ICUs) are inherently stressful environments.
• Sudden hospitalizations in ICUs disrupt family dynamics and parental well-being.
• The parent-child relationship is vulnerable during critical care admissions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a project focused on maintaining the parent-child bond in a surgical intensive care unit.
• To mitigate the psychological impact of critical care on families.
• To support family cohesion during a child's hospitalization.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a dedicated project within a surgical intensive care setting.
• Securing funding from external organizations (e.g., Fondation de France).
• Focusing on interventions to preserve parent-child interactions.

Main Results:

• The project facilitated the continuation of parent-child bonding despite the stressful ICU environment.
• Positive impact on family dynamics observed.
• Enhanced support for parents during critical care.

Conclusions:

• Maintaining the parent-child bond is crucial for families in the ICU.
• The project demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of supporting family connections in critical care settings.
• Further development of such initiatives is warranted to improve patient and family-centered care.