Parental perceptions on the impact of visiting restrictions during COVID‐19 in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Aim During the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), visiting guidelines in neonatal units changed to maintain the health and safety of staff, neonates, and families. In the neonatal intensive care unit/special care nursery (NICU/SCN), restrictions were placed on parental contact and extended family excluded. Our team was interested in evaluating the effect of these restrictions on parental stress and discharge confidence. Methods A prospective descriptive study utilising survey methodology was undertaken. The survey was developed and previously used by the NICU research group to evaluate parental knowledge and understanding, parental role, communication, and parental stress (admission/discharge). We have also included a section regarding COVID19 visiting restrictions (ETH.2020.LRE.00124). The survey used a five‐level Likert scale. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS version 21. Results Notably, 33 surveys were returned. Results showed visiting restrictions reduced social contact between partners 26/33 (84%), with their other children 14/16 (87.5%) and extended family 28/33 (84.8%). Parents indicated that they had high levels of confidence in understanding their babies' medical needs (78–93%) and gaining hands‐on experience caring for their baby (87–100%). However, 11/33 (33%) of parents reported concerns with discharge processes and gaining consistent information as challenges during their baby's admission. Notably, 17/33 (51.5) stated their NICU/SCN experience had been very to extremely stressful. Parents openly described how the restrictions had affected their mental/emotional health identifying the need to treat parents as one unit, and a gap in the psychological support available for families. Conclusion Support services and consistency of communication with NICU/SCN families need to be enhanced and prioritised during periods of restrictions, especially peri‐discharge.

Challenges of Family-Centered Care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during the Visitation Restrictions After COVID-19 Pandemic Peak: A Qualitative Study of Parents’ and Nurses’ Perspectives

“…Implementing psychological support, such as openly discussing emotions and providing time extensions and necessary information, can reduce this stress. 2 Reduced opportunities for parental involvement in their infant's care can lead to a loss of bonding and attachment. Parental stress related to NICU admission may have long-term negative consequences for parent-infant interaction and neonatal development.…”

“…Vol.28, No.3, July-September 2024. pp.632-644 https://doi.org/10.60099/prijnr.2024.268511 in the NICU. [1][2][3] The visiting restrictions endured by parents during the pandemic impacted the daily routines in the NICU, a vital component of the FCC Vol. 28 No.…”

“…5 During the pandemic's restriction period, parents experienced relational distress from being separated from their newborns, negatively affecting their bond with their infants. 2 Family-centered care (FCC) involves parents as equal partners in planning, delivering, and assessing newborn care in the neonatal intensive care unit. FCC's fundamental principles are respect and dignity, information sharing, participation, and collaboration.…”