Family-centered neonatal intensive care

摘要

Family-centered care of normal, term infants has long been endorsed, stimulated initially by Klaus and Ken-nell's groundbreaking work on the importance of mother-infant contact for attachment (1). Until recently, however, ill and preterm babies were hospitalized apart from their mothers in neonatal intensive care units, with parents visiting occasionally and never providing direct care for the infant. Parents were not considered capable of participating in the highly technical management of the infant. Caregivers resisted being "observed" by parents, and having to explain procedures undertaken, some of which may have appeared to be excessive, and may, indeed, have been excessive (2).