Welcome to Week 2

Having a preterm baby can be a very challenging time for parents and other carers, particularly if the child is being cared for in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This can seem a very alien environment and the baby may have episodes of serious illness when their life is at risk. Parents can feel fearful, helpless and a mere bystander in the care of their baby. They can feel torn between spending time with their newborn and their other responsibilities at home or at work. This is a complex and highly traumatic time for parents.

Neonatal teams caring for preterm babies need heightened sensitivity and enhanced skills to provide clinical care for the baby, and support parents to overcome their fears and spend time to bond with their baby. In amongst this complex picture, the quality of clinical care must always be of the highest standard because this can help to reduce the risk of developing ROP.

Nurses have an important role in neonatal teams. They provide continuous care for babies, communicate with parents, and provide them with support and help to develop the skills and techniques required to safely care for their child and begin to learn about their immediate and longer-term medical needs.

As you go through this week, we draw your attention to the importance of team work in the neonatal unit, the urgency of the care procedures for preterm babies and the communication that teams need to maintain between themselves and with parents along the way.