Abstract
Parent-infant bonding may be disrupted by premature delivery and complicated by a hospital stay and medical equipment. There are a large number of studies that show early neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) interventions with parents can decrease the infants’ length of stay, improve parent interaction and satisfaction, and enhance parents’ abilities to be effective care givers after discharge.|Purpose: Our purpose was to explore parents’ perspectives of interaction with their preterm infant during their NICU stay and identify interventions that aid in the transition from anxious bystanders to confident caregivers. It was hypothesized that decreased gestational age and birth weight led to decreased parental interaction. Objectives were to identify which interventions eased parents’ anxiety when caring for their infant in the hospital as well as after discharge.|Methods: Surveys were collected from two Midwest level III NICUs. They were given to parents after their infant had spent at least two days in the NICU. Infants ranged from 24-41 weeks gestation at birth. Demographic data was collected including parents level of education, work status, miles from the hospital, and infant’s current length of stay. Survey questions focused on parents’ knowledge of their infants’ diagnosis, and involvement in their infant’s care. Completing the survey was voluntary and consent was implied by completing it and placing it in the drop box at the nurse’s station. Surveys were compiled (n=25) and qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed.|Results: Of the 25 parents surveyed, the average score for parent’s satisfaction with their NICU experience was 4.9 out of 5 on a Likert scale with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. It was noted in the results that infants born greater than 35 weeks were presented with less opportunities to do kangaroo care than infants born younger than 35 weeks. In general parents felt well informed about their infants’ diagnosis and medical equipment. It was discovered that parents whose infants were born less than 35 weeks had more concerns about caring for their infant at home.|Conclusions: Parents of infants hospitalized in the NICU benefit from family-based NICU interventions such has kangaroo care, taking the temperature, and changing the diaper. Involving parents in their infant’s care may enhance their knowledge, involvement, satisfaction, and bonding with their infant.