Psychosocial support for parents of extremely preterm infants in neonatal intensive care: a qualitative interview study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Extremely premature infants (those born before 28 weeks' gestational age) are highly immature, requiring months of care at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). For parents, their child's grave medical condition and prolonged hospitalization are stressful and psychologically disruptive. This study aimed at exploring the needs of psychosocial support of parents of extremely premature infants, and how the NICU as an organization and its staff meets or fails to meet these needs. METHOD:Sixteen open-ended interviews were conducted with 27 parents after their infant's discharge from the NICU. Inductive content analysis was performed. RESULTS:Four themes were identified: Emotional support (with subthemes Empathic treatment by staff, Other parents as a unique source of support, Unclea

SUBMITTER: Bry A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6883543 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature