Experiences of Parents of Preterm Children Hospitalized Regarding Restrictions to Interact with Their Children Imposed Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Sandra Patricia Osorio Galeano, Ángela María Salazar Maya
PMID 34214287WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of preterm babies in NICU said pandemic visit limits made them feel cut off.
They needed clear daily updates, and they feared missing chances to learn feeding, kangaroo care, and post-discharge support.
Key findings
01Parents said they needed clear, close, and constant information about their child's condition and about why unit access was restricted.
02Fathers reported fewer chances to learn care and gain confidence, and some could not provide kangaroo care while their child was hospitalized.
03After discharge, parents said kangaroo follow-up moved to phone calls and they isolated the baby from relatives out of fear of infection.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only 12 parents whose children were at home and had been discharged not over three months earlier, so it does not capture parents whose child remained hospitalized or had ongoing health problems. Participants were recruited through snowball convenience sampling, so they may not represent all parents of preterm children. Face-to-face contact was not possible, so the study relied on remote interviews. Coding was led by one researcher and compared with one other researcher, without software. The study reports experiences and themes, not measured effects of visit restrictions on child or parent outcomes.
Declared interests
No funding source or conflict-of-interest declaration appears in the supplied text. The interviewer was a neonatal nurse and PhD student.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that phone updates, photos, and videos can replace parents being present in the NICU. Parents said these channels helped them cope, but they also said they did not substitute for personal interaction.