Experiences of parents whose school-aged children were treated with therapeutic hypothermia as newborns: A focus group study.
Sari Kokkonen Nassef, Mats Blennow Bohlin, Maria Jirwe
PMID 37752681WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of children treated with therapeutic hypothermia as newborns still recalled chaotic births, vague information and exclusion from care, but NICU nurses gave them security and hope.
Years later they worried about school and said post-discharge support was needed.
Key findings
01Parents said information during treatment was sporadic, not adapted to them, and they were not asked to participate in care.
02Parents said NICU nurses gave them security, hope and emotional support, while physicians were described as objective and professional.
03Years later, parents worried about school and said professional psychological or counselling support after discharge would have been needed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 21 parents of 15 children participated, although 51 children were eligible. Pandemic restrictions reduced focus-group sizes and prevented some parents from attending. Parents were asked to recall experiences 10 to 13 years later, so memory and current family circumstances may shape the descriptions. The children were born when therapeutic hypothermia was new, and some NICU practices have changed since then. The study reports parents' experiences, not measured child outcomes or whether nurse support changed development. Only parents were interviewed, not children, teachers or NICU staff.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that therapeutic hypothermia causes long-term developmental problems or that nurse support improves child outcomes. It reports parents' recollections of communication and care, not measured effects on the children.