Parental participation in neonatal care

This study's purpose was to identify the principal components of the neonatal care process with respect to parents' views of parental participation, and to analyse the relationships between these variables and parents' characteristics. To accomplish this goal, a survey of a convenience sample of 141 parents was conducted, based on the EMPATHIC-N questionnaire. Principal component analysis revealed that neonatal care, with respect to the parents' views of parental participation, was characterised by two principal components: interactions with caregivers and nursing the baby. Multiple regression analysis revealed that both of the principal components were significantly related to infants' gestational week, but not to any of the parental characteristics examined. The practical implication of these results is that healthcare professionals should focus on creating conditions that facilitate parental participation in terms of interactions with caregivers and nursing the baby, and to a larger extent, the needs of infants born very premature.