ArticleDevelopment of Program Standards for Psychosocial Support of Parents of Infants Admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A National Interdisciplinary Consensus Model

Parents of infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience stress and psychological distress. They need psychosocial support. While survival of even micropreemies has dramatically improved in the last decade, few best practices have developed for parental support. This article will describe an interdisciplinary team approach to achieving consensus around best practices and recommendations for psychosocial parental support programs designed to meet the needs of parents during their journey from the perinatal/intrapartum period, through the NICU stay, and home to primary care settings.