The Importance of Parent-Infant Bonding in NICUs

This assignment delves into the significance of parent-infant bonding within Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). It examines the multifaceted benefits this bonding offers to both parents and infants, encompassing reduced hospital stays, improved weight gain, lower infection rates, and decreased parental stress. The essay emphasizes the role of NICU nurses in fostering effective bonding through practices like clear communication, breastfeeding support, and a nurturing environment. It concludes by highlighting the crucial responsibility nurses have in promoting strong parent-infant connections for optimal infant development and well-being.

Neonatal Nursing

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART B: ESSAY.............................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

PART B: ESSAY
Neonatal intensive care unit nurses are usually work in a team with other NICU doctors
and health care professionals. Such nurses have accountability in relation to monitoring vitals,
administering medications and providing newborns with high level of care as well as comfort.
NIC nurses also play a vital role in persuading parents pertaining to the care of their newborn
after discharge (Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse, 2018). In the context of present study, audience
will be neonatal intensive care nurses. Hence, such study will provide deeper insight to them
about the aspects of parent-infant bonding, family centred care, breastfeeding and
communication. Besides this, it also entails the extent to which parental confidence can be
enhanced through the means of friendly and healing environment.
Parent-infant bonding is highly essential because it directly associated with the growth
and neuro development outcomes of babies. The rationale behind this, when parents are not in
position to understand the feelings or requirements of child then it negatively impacts their
development (Gallagher and et.al., 2017). For instance: When a baby cries then it is a indication
of something wrong pertaining to wet, hungry, bored or hot. In this situation, when parents of
such child not able to soothe his//her feelings then they scream louder and louder. Hence,
continual screaming level results into stress in the child. Such high level of stress among infants
negatively impacts their immune system. In addition to this, under the situation of high parent-
infant bonding there is less chances in relation to illness of newborns (Lewis and Jacobson,
2017). Meanwhile, there is no or less requirement in relation to staying in the hospital. Further,
less hospital stay also assists in avoiding possibilities pertaining to nososcomial infection. Thus,
prominent parent-infant relationship is required for the good mental and physical health of
infants.
Along with the newborns, aspects of parent-infant bonding also highly important in the
context of parents. Such bonding or relationship provides high level of assistance in reducing
stress level of parents. Moreover, parents feel happy and relaxed when they spend more time
with children. In addition to this, parents also feel better when they able to understand the needs
and requirements of child more effectually (Bonding is essential for normal infant development.,
2018). Breastfeeding rates are improved or enhanced when effectual relationship takes place

between infant and their parents. Once parents attached with their child then they place high
level of emphasis on newborns growth and development. Moreover, breastfeeding positively
contributes in the growth and developmental aspect of child. Thus, relationship which takes
place between mother and infant enhances the rate or level of breastfeeding to a great extent.
Parent-Infant attachment plays a very important role for parents in their parental role and
accelerating the survival of infants. Strong bonding with the parent and infants helps in building
confidence between parents as they fell enough confident in handling their parental
responsibilities words infants in an effective way (Alfes, Hickman and Fitzpatrick, 2018). As
parents and infants bonding became stronger, they will be able to understand the ultimate desire
and needs of infants including emotional expectations. Many prior studies had also showed that
parent-infant attachment is directly correlated with the self-confidence domain, thus,
strengtehened attachment build confidence. It also leads to improve parent-partner relationship
and reduces stress.
It has identified from research that parent-infant bonding can be enhanced through
increasing the level of parent’s participation in positioning, feeding, routine and skin care.
Feeding is one of the main aspects that develop high level of association between mother and
child (Ryan, 2017). Along with this, when parents spend time with children in the activities such
as routine and skin care then it make significant contribution in the parent-infant bonding.
Moreover, such kind of activities enables them to understand child and their requirements.
Health care professionals can support parent-infant bonding through persuading and
suggesting them about Kangaroo care. Moreover, such nursing practice offers high level of
benefit to both infants and parents. KC may be served as a natural way which offers opportunity
to both family and parents to know the infant. However, such kind of care creates vulnerable
situation when parents do not have deeper insight about the same (Shade, Kelly and Hofmann,
2017). Thus, staff nurses who are well versed in such practice need to guide and support to the
families or parents. Hence, KC is a prominent way through which parent infant bonding can be
developed and enhanced. Moreover, as per this method, parent holds baby which in turn ensures
skin to skin contact.
NICS nurses can promote breastfeeding by communicating the benefits associated with
both mom and baby. Breastfeeding offers high level of protection from chronic diseases such as

diabetes. Besides this, as compared to other aspects breastfeeding contributes in the growth and
development of babies to a great extent. Immune system of breastfed babies is usually higher in
comparison to others (20 Breastfeeding Benefits for Mom and Baby, 2018). In addition to this,
depression risk is lower among the mothers who breastfed their children. Hence, nurses should
lay focus on highlighting the benefits and importance of breastfeed among parents. This in
encourages them to undertake the same and contributes in the better health of child or baby.
From assessment, it has found that open and clear communication is the prior
requirement between nurses as well as parents for promoting better parent infant bonding. On the
basis of effective bonding aspects, closeness between both newborns and their mothers are
highly required. This in turn helps mother of newborn in understanding the signals given by
him/her. However, sometimes due to the illness such normal bonding process is affected
negatively because, in such situation, newborns separated from their mothers and admitted into
NICU (Verklan and Walden, 2014). Thus, under such situation, effective communication and
psychological support is recognized as one of the main aspects that enhances parent infant
bonding significantly. Through the means of communication nurses can provide information to
the parents about the manner through which effectual bonding can be created with newborn.
Environment plays a major role because relaxed, stress-free and healing environment
helps in building high level of confidence. On the contrary, stress, anxiety, tension and other
attributes affect it negatively. Positive family environment is seen as a protective factor for the
child overall development and growth (Nesmith and et.al., 2017). Above created diagram clearly
visualize that healing environment and good relationship with other helped parents to build self-
confidence promotes parental confidence. It would be possible through responsible behaviour,
etiquettes, social support, good listening skills, in turn, infant experience good well-being.
In conclusion to this essay, it can be depicted that parent-infant bonding offers high level
of benefits to both parents and infants. Moreover, high bonding reduces possibilities in relation
to staying in hospital, weight gain and nosocomial infection in the context of infants. Besides
this, it can be inferred that prominent relationship between both also reduces the stress level of
parents to the large extent. Hence, NICU nurses have responsibility to provide parents with
friendly environment, support and guidance which in turn helps them in developing effectual
bonding with the child. It can be summarized from the evaluation that effectual communication

and breastfeeding are the prominent ways that assists in developing prominent parent infant
boding.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alfes, C. M., Hickman, R. and Fitzpatrick, J. eds., 2018. Handbook of Clinical Nursing:
Pediatric and Neonatal Nursing. Springer Publishing Company.
Gallagher, K. and et.al., 2017. Nursing & parental perceptions of neonatal care in Central
Vietnam: a longitudinal qualitative study. BMC pediatrics, 17(1), p.161.
Lewis, L. A. and Jacobson, A. F., 2017. Electronic Health Record Documentation of Nursing
Care Procedures and Change in Weight of Healthy, Moderately Premature
Neonates. Neonatal Network. 36(6). pp.348-358.
Nesmith, A. and et.al., 2017. Promoting quality parent–child visits: the power of the parent–
foster parent relationship. Child & Family Social Work. 22(1). pp.246-255.
Ryan, M. A., 2017. Advocacy,‘defacto’partner to neonatal nursing practice. Journal of Neonatal
Nursing. 23(1). pp.5-8.
Shade, C., Kelly, K. and Hofmann, K., 2017. Addressing the unique needs of an electronic health
record in a neonatal intensive care unit. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal
Nursing. 46(2). pp.304-309.
Verklan, M. T. and Walden, M., 2014. Core Curriculum for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing-E-
Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Online
20 Breastfeeding Benefits for Mom and Baby. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.fitpregnancy.com/baby/breastfeeding/20-breastfeeding-benefits-mom-baby>.
Bonding is essential for normal infant development. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medicalcenter/healthtips/20100114_infant-bonding.html>.

Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.nursing.org/careers/neonatal-intensive-care-nurse/>.