Successes and struggles of parent support groups in neonatal intensive care units

A national sample of 129 neonatal intensive care units were surveyed to elicit information about parent support groups in their nurseries. In addition to demographic data, the questionnaire requested information about the purpose, primary focus, format, attendance, and facilitators of the parent groups. Attendance problems were a central issue in the establishment and/or maintenance of the support groups. Our data suggest that dual purpose (education and support), combination format (topic and open discussion), evening meetings, and average attendance of five to 10 parents positively affected the groups perceived outcome.