No abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Transitioning premature infants from the NICU to home is a highrisk period with potential for compromised care. Parental stress is high, and families of low socioeconomic status may face additional challenges. Home visiting programs have been used to help this transition, with mixed success. We sought to understand the experiences of at-risk families during this transition to inform interventions.

Communication difficulties were the most commonly reported barriers during the NICU stay and physicians overestimated the frequency that families experienced challenges after discharge. Parent input is important to create effective interventions aimed at improving care and limiting disparities.