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Updated: Jan 13, 2026

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Promoting bonding and secure attachment in the NICU to improve parent-infant mental health: recommendations for

Yvonne Yui1,2, Christine C Pazandak3, Daphna Yasova Barbeau4

  • 1Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA. yyui@childrensnational.org.

Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
|January 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The American Academy of Pediatrics Trainees and Early Career Neonatologist

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care
  • Pediatric mental health
  • Family-centered care

Background:

  • NICU admissions present physical and emotional barriers to parent-infant bonding.
  • Separation impacts infant mental health, development, and parental well-being.
  • Developing secure attachment is crucial for long-term outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine barriers to bonding in the NICU.
  • To assess the impact of NICU admission on infant and parental mental health.
  • To recommend strategies for improving NICU family mental health and attachment.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on NICU family mental health.
  • Analysis of the "Carousel Care" advocacy campaign by AAP TECAN.
  • Examination of physical and emotional factors affecting parent-infant bonding in the NICU.

Main Results:

  • NICU separation negatively affects infant development and parental mental health.
  • Barriers to bonding can impede the formation of secure parent-child attachment.
  • The AAP TECAN campaign highlights the need for standardized mental health support.

Conclusions:

  • Comprehensive strategies are needed at provider, institutional, and national levels.
  • Minimizing separation and maximizing bonding in the NICU is essential.
  • Improved NICU care can enhance mental health for both infants and parents.

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