Personalized communication with parents of children born at less than 25 weeks: Moving from doctor-driven to parent-personalized discussions

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Clinical Communication
• Bioethics

Background:

• Parental communication is crucial in neonatal care, particularly for extremely preterm infants (<25 weeks gestation).
• High mortality and morbidity rates in this population complicate communication strategies.
• Existing guidelines often focus narrowly on prenatal consultations, neglecting other critical care phases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a comprehensive framework for personalized, parent-centered communication in neonatal care.
• To address communication across antenatal, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization, and end-of-life phases.
• To advocate for adaptive communication strategies that respect parental heterogeneity.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and clinical practices in neonatal communication.
• Development of a conceptual model for personalized and parent-centered communication.
• Emphasis on clinician self-reflection and practical implementation strategies.

Main Results:

• A 'one-size-fits-all' communication model is insufficient for building effective parent-clinician partnerships.
• Personalized communication, adapted to parental needs, is achievable and essential.
• Standardized yet personalized approaches enhance trust and facilitate shared decision-making.

Conclusions:

• Effective neonatal communication requires a shift from standardized information delivery to personalized, parent-centered engagement.
• Implementing adaptive communication strategies across all care phases is key to fostering strong clinician-parent partnerships.
• Clinician self-reflection and structured approaches are foundational for successful personalized communication in neonatal care.