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Parental and staff experiences of restricted parental presence on a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during COVID-19
Harriet Garfield1, Briony Westgate1, Rajiv Chaudhary2
1Psychological Medicine for Children, Young People and Families, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.
Insights
COVID-19 restrictions in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) negatively impacted parental wellbeing, infant bonding, and confidence. These findings informed decisions about NICU access during subsequent pandemic waves.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Public health
- Psychology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant restrictions on parental presence in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
- Limited parental access during the initial wave raised concerns about the well-being of both parents and infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the impact of restricted visiting policies on parent and staff experiences in the NICU.
- To assess the effects of limited parental presence on parental well-being, infant bonding, and confidence.
Main Methods:
- Bespoke surveys were developed and administered to gather data from staff and parents.
- Survey questions were informed by initial observations and discussions with NICU stakeholders.
Main Results:
- Restrictions adversely affected parental mood and overall well-being.
- Parents reported negative impacts on infant well-being, parent-infant bonding, partner well-being, and breastfeeding confidence.
- Access to medical teams was also negatively impacted by the restrictions.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the detrimental effects of restricted parental presence in the NICU.
- Findings supported maintaining NICU access for parents during subsequent COVID-19 waves, informing clinical practice and policy.
Aim:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on parental presence in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) during the first wave. The NICU team at the Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, endeavoured to explore the impact on parent and staff experiences of supporting parents throughout the period when visiting was restricted, between 13th August and 11th September 2020.
Methods:
Bespoke surveys were designed following the first lockdown to gather information on the impact on staff and parents. The questions were developed in the context of initial observations and conversations with staff and parents.
Results:
The findings of this study have illustrated the extent of the restrictions on parental wellbeing and mood, with the restrictions having had an adverse effect on these. In addition, the findings illustrate the adverse effect that the parents reported due to the restricted presence in terms of their babies' wellbeing, parent-infant bonding, partners' wellbeing, parental confidence, the ability to breastfeed confidently and parents' access to the medical teams.
Conclusion:
The findings of this study have a number of clinical implications for parents and staff. Namely, the data supported the decision not to close NICU again during the second and third waves.
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