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[Optimization of neonatal hospital care for very preterm babies while supporting early parent-child relationships]
N V Andrushchenko1,2, V O Anikina1, A S Iova2
1Saint Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Insights
Supporting early mother-child relationships and involving parents in care significantly improves outcomes for premature infants. These family-centered neonatal programs enhance both infant development and parental well-being.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Developmental psychology
- Family medicine
Background:
- Child development is influenced by medical and psychological factors, including parental emotional state and early relationship quality.
- Strong infant-mother relationships are crucial for early family-centered support of premature infants.
- Existing evidence-based programs for neonatal care and early mother-child relationship support for preterm infants are reviewed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence-based neonatal care programs that support early mother-child relationships for preterm infants.
- To identify key components of effective family-centered neonatal care.
- To provide a scientific basis for implementing early care systems in the Russian Federation.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing evidence-based programs for neonatal intensive care units.
- Analysis of three main directions in neonatal care: parental counseling on prognosis, supporting natural child development, and parental involvement in infant care.
- Synthesis of data on the impact of these programs on parents and preterm infants.
Main Results:
- Implementing programs supporting early mother-child relationships and parental involvement shows positive dynamics for both parents and preterm infants.
- Key components include discussing prognosis, fostering natural development, and active parental participation in infant care.
- These programs are suitable for widespread implementation in neonatal intensive care units for stabilized preterm infants, including those with extremely low birth weight.
Conclusions:
- Family-centered neonatal care programs focusing on early mother-child relationships and parental involvement yield significant benefits for preterm infants and their families.
- These interventions can be effectively implemented in hospital settings and extended to the family environment.
- Further research into preterm infant and parent care systems is warranted.
Abstract:
Research shows that not only medical but also psychological factors such as parents' emotional state, their parenting skills, quality of very early relationships with the infant influence child's physical and mental health and development. The support of good infant-mother relationships is an essential part of early family-centered help to premature babies. The article reviews existing evidence-based programs of neonatal care and support of early mother-child relationships for preterm babies at the hospital. It covers three main directions: discussing with parents prognosis of a child's health and development; supporting natural conditions of child development, and including parents into child early care and observation. Data presented in the article shows that if using each of the mentioned above directions that are important for quality early care and interaction, positive dynamics is seen both on parents' and preterm infant's side. Designated programs can be widely implemented in neonatal intensive care units for children born before term, including those with extremely low body weight when they achieve clinical stabilization. The material presented in the article may be used as the scientific base for implementing in Russian Federation early care system both at the hospital level and, later, in the family environment. It also constitutes new directions for research of preterm babies and their parents.
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