Enjoyment in Preterm Infants: Exploring Clinical and Research Perspectives in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Because of the novelty and complexity of the construct of enjoyment in preterm infants, an exploration of insights from clinical and research perspectives is warranted. The purpose of this article is threefold: (a) to describe the clinical and research-based indicators of enjoyment, (b) to promote clinical strategies that may facilitate enjoyment, and (c) to identify potential benefits of enjoyment for preterm infants in the NICU. We conducted a comprehensive literature review to explore the clinical and research perspectives of enjoyment in preterm infants in the NICU. Articles were selected for full-text review if they discussed the potential clinical and research-based indicators of enjoyment, clinical strategies that may facilitate enjoyment, or benefits of enjoyment. There is a limited description of this construct for preterm infants in the NICU. Our synthesis of the literature highlights the relative value of enjoyment in preterm infants and its clinical and research implications. A conceptual framework was developed to guide further exploration of the construct of enjoyment in preterm infants and aimed at sparking deeper discussions among neonatal researchers and clinicians. Enjoyment in preterm infants remains an underrecognized construct in the literature. Initiating discussions on its meaning and potential impact to transform NICU care and research is essential. Further research is warranted to develop and test validated measures to assess enjoyment in preterm infants. Clinicians are encouraged to reflect on their practice and consider strategies to foster enjoyable experiences for preterm infants in the NICU.