ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore parents' shared experiences of separation from their newborns after birth in Denmark. DESIGN: Phenomenological hermeneutic design. SETTING: A NICU in the Capital Region of Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: Four sets of parents (N = 8) with prematurely born neonates who were admitted to the NICU. METHODS: We used dyadic interviews for data collection. We applied a phenomenological hermeneutic approach inspired by Ricoeur's theory of interpretation to analyze the data. RESULTS: Two overarching themes emerged that reflected two distinct temporal phases of separation. Initial separation caused an experience of becoming parents at different paces. Separation based on care needs (i.e., the NICU vs. maternity unit) left parents at the juncture between separation and closeness. CONCLUSION: Separation from their newborns complicated parents' transitions into parenthood. Their sense of unity was undermined when different units assumed responsibility for the mother and newborn. This challenged family-centered care. Our findings indicate the need to minimize separation through initiatives such as zero separation and couplet care.
Subject(s)
Parents , Humans , Denmark , Infant, Newborn , Female , Male , Parents/psychology , Adult , Intensive Care Units, Neonatal , Parent-Child Relations , Infant, Premature , Qualitative Research , Adaptation, PsychologicalABSTRACT
Background: Families with an infant in need of intensive care most often experience a harmful separation after birth. This is due to a division of medical specialties into neonatal care and maternal care. Therefore, a couplet care intervention is implemented for mother-infant dyads in a neonatal intensive care unit. This study protocol provides a comprehensive evaluation of the intervention. The aim is to evaluate the effect and implementation of a complex couplet care intervention to promote zero separation between mother and infant. Methods: The couplet care intervention is a family-centered model of care, where treatment-requiring mother-infant dyads will be admitted together and receive couplet care by neonatal nurses. The study adheres to the framework of the Medical Research Council and will use a mixed methods embedded design comprising a quasi-experimental trial and a qualitative process evaluation. Finally, a health economic evaluation will be conducted to assess the cost-effectiveness of this complex couplet care intervention. Discussion: Separation of mother-infant dyads after birth has an adverse impact on family health and well-being. This study protocol evaluates a complex couplet care intervention. With this study, a first step is taken to help bridge the gap between current practices and a new care model to prevent the separation of mothers and their infants.