Family-Centered Care in Neonatal Intensive Care Systems
Summary
In neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) worldwide, family-centred care (FCC) has emerged as a transformative approach that positions parents and caregivers as integral partners in an infant’s medical and developmental journey. FCC encompasses a spectrum of practices designed to enhance parental involvement, uphold family autonomy and strengthen the parental role from the moment of admission. Central to this model is the recognition that the well-being of preterm and critically ill infants is intimately linked to the psychological, emotional and social support provided by family members. Key elements of FCC include open communication between staff and families; collaborative decision-making; tailored education sessions for parents; and environmental adaptations that facilitate parental presence around the clock. Interventions such as kangaroo care, structured parental education and psychosocial support have demonstrated positive effects on infant health metrics, including weight gain, reduced length of stay and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes, as well as on parental confidence, bonding and mental health. Moreover, digital innovations—ranging from telemedicine follow-up to secure web platforms—have begun to extend FCC beyond the hospital, offering continuity of care after discharge. As health systems strive to deliver equitable outcomes, family-centred neonatal care continues to inform policy, training and resource allocation, emphasising the global imperative to nurture both infant survival and family resilience.
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Family-Centered Care in Neonatal Intensive Care Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in family-centered care in neonatal intensive care systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Family-Centred Care: An approach that engages parents and families as active partners in the planning, delivery and evaluation of health care for their child.
Family Integrated Care (FIC) model: A structured programme in NICUs enabling parents to provide the majority of non-medical care under guidance from nurses and healthcare staff.
Kangaroo care: A method of skin-to-skin contact between infant and parent intended to regulate infant temperature, enhance bonding and promote physiological stability.
Telemedicine: The use of information and communication technologies to deliver clinical and educational support to patients remotely.
References
- Digital solutions to follow up on discharged new parents—A systematic literature review. PLOS Digital Health (2023).
- A pilot cohort analytic study of Family Integrated Care in a Canadian neonatal intensive care unit. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (2013).
- Evaluation of the Family Integrated Care model of neonatal intensive care: a cluster randomized controlled trial in Canada and Australia. BMC Pediatrics (2015).
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