Family-centered neonatal care

The final goal of neonatal care is the well-being of babies and their families. To achieve this, it is important for neonatal healthcare staff and parents to bring what each party can do with a good partnership in between. For example, the healthcare team has the responsibility and expertize  in  medications and ventilatory management, while parents contribute to sensitive and loving care  according to the behavior of their baby.

The practice of family-centered care requires that neonatal health care staff recognize the importance of parents and help the parents fulfill their maximum potential in neonatal medicine. However, it is not easy to implement as many of us are used to neonatal care led by healthcare staff. What we believe is particularly important is a change in the mindset of NICU staff and an improvement in staff-parent communication.

Communication and support for parents

To all healthcare staff working with newborn babies and their parents, have you had any difficulties communicating with parents or supporting them?

Your communication may impact parents and their babies significantly. Parents could be more motivated and confident, and establish a better relationship with their baby after the healthcare staff support the parents with better communication. These changes in the family also improve the baby’s outcomes.

As a healthcare staff member working with newborn babies and their parents, did you know that our communication may impact parents and their babies significantly? Parents could become more motivated and confident, and establish a better relationship with their baby when the healthcare staff support the parents with better communication. The changes in the parent-infant relationship  are important for the baby’s outcomes.

To all parents and other family members of babies, what support was helpful when your baby was in the NICU or other neonatal unit? What support would have made your stay more comfortable? For many of you, this may include communication with neonatal healthcare staff.

However, it is challenging to improve staff-parent communication in neonatal units.  To change the care culture in the unit, all health care staff members need to change their style of communication. It requires training for the health care staff to understand the importance of parents. Then the staff becomes motivated in changing their communication and collaboration behaviors in everyday care. Close Collaboration with Parents training addresses these needs and challenges.