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Parents' Participation in Care during Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Stay in COVID-19 Era: An Observational Study
Emanuele Buccione1,2, Davide Scarponcini Fornaro2, Damiana Pieragostino3,4
1Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Insights
Parental participation in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors like being a father, having multiple children, or belonging to minority groups further reduced engagement in NICU care.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care
- Parental involvement in healthcare
- COVID-19 impact on healthcare
Background:
- Parents are vital for infant care in the NICU.
- COVID-19 pandemic restrictions reduced parental access and participation.
- Understanding barriers to parental participation is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify barriers to optimal parental participation in the NICU during the COVID-19 era.
- To analyze factors influencing parental engagement in neonatal care.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative, observational study design.
- Data collected from 270 parents with infants in the NICU.
Main Results:
- Mothers showed higher participation than fathers (p=0.017).
- Parents of first-borns reported better participation than parents of second-borns (p=0.005).
- Parents of extremely preterm infants had lower interaction than parents of term infants (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Cultural and linguistic minorities, parents of multiples, and fathers reported lower participation.
- COVID-19 significantly hindered family-centered care activities, disproportionately affecting those who previously benefited most.
- Study approved by IRB-CRRM (2023_12_07_01).
Background:
Parents play a crucial role in the care of infants during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Recent studies have reported a decrease in parental participation due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has led to restricted access policies in hospitals. The aim of this study was to describe the barriers to good parental participation during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit in the COVID-19 era.
Methods:
This was a quantitative, observational study.
Results:
A total of 270 parents participated in this study. Mothers' participation in care was higher than that of fathers (p = 0.017). Parents who lived at the birth of their first child reported a better level of participation in care compared to those who lived at the birth of their second-born (p = 0.005). Parents of extremely preterm neonates reported a lower interaction with their infants than parents of term newborns (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Some disadvantaged categories reported lower scores for cultural and linguistic minorities, parents of multiple children, and fathers. The COVID-19 pandemic has made several family-centred care activities impossible, with a higher impact on those who benefited most of these facilities. This study was prospectively approved by the IRB-CRRM of the University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara on 23 January 2024 (approval number CRRM: 2023_12_07_01).
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