BackgroundMost Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in China have restricted visiting policies for parents. This also implicates that parents are not involved in the care of their infant. Family Integrated Care (FIC), empowering parents in direct care delivery and decisions, is becoming the standard in NICUs in many countries and can improve quality-of-life and health outcomes of preterm infants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a FIC intervention on the clinical outcomes of preterm infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD).MethodsA pre-post intervention study was conducted at NICUs in two Chinese children’s hospitals. Infants with BPD were included: pre-intervention group (n = 134) from December 2015 to September 2016, post-intervention (FIC) group (n = 115) and their parents from October 2016 to June 2017. NICU nurses were trained between July and September 2016 to deliver the FIC intervention, including parent education and support. Parents had to be present and care for their infant minimal three hours a day. The infants’ outcome measures were length-of-stay, breastfeeding, weight gain, respiratory and oxygen support, and parent hospital expenses.ResultsCompared with control group (n = 134), the FIC group (n = 115) had significantly increased breastfeeding rates (83% versus 71%, p = 0.030), breastfeeding time (31 days versus 19 days, p < 0.001), enteral nutrition time (50 days versus 34 days, p < 0.001), weight gain (29 g/day versus 23 g/day, p = 0.002), and significantly lower respiratory support time (16 days versus 25 days, p < 0.001). Oxygen Exposure Time decreased but not significant (39 days versus 41 days p = 0.393). Parents hospital expenses in local Chinese RMB currency was not significant (84 K versus 88 K, p = 0.391).ConclusionThe results of our study suggests that FIC is feasible in two Chinese NICUs and might improve clinical outcomes of preterm infants with BPD. Further research is needed to include all infants admitted to NICUs and should include parent reported outcome measures. Our study may help other NICUs with limited parental access to implement FIC to enhance parental empowerment and involvement in the care of their infant.

Multi shape memory polymers (multi-SMPs) exhibit many potential applications such as aerospace, soft robotics, and biomedical devices because of their unique abilities. Although many works are done to broaden the preparations of multi-SMPs, the desire to a simple and versatile strategy as well as more complex shapes still exists. Moreover, a light-induced SMP shows more advantages than a thermal-induced one in many practical working circumstances. Herein, inspired by strong adhesion and efficient photothermal conversion of polydopamine (PDA) coating, we report a more simple and facile approach to prepare light-induced multi-SMPs by introducing a gradient PDA coating on a dual-SMP through time-controlled dipping. The photothermal converting properties with varying thicknesses of PDA under the tunable near-infrared light source are investigated. Then, light-induced multishape memory effects based on gradient PDA coatings are illustrated, where three designs of multi-SMPs - rectangle, triangle, and cross are prepared and demonstrated. Also, the evolutions of coating morphology during shape shifting are carefully studied. Finally, we present few complex designs of patterns and shapes as well as a design of potential application for the highly controllable smart devices. This strategy demonstrates a very simple and general strategy to design and prepare the light-induced multi-SMPs with complex shapes based on any thermal-responsive dual-SMPs.

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