Family Integrated Care, also known as FiCare, is a transformative approach used in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). It encourages parents to take an active role in the care of their baby while they are in the NICU.
What is the Aim of Family Integrated Care?
FiCare aims to minimize the negative impacts of the NICU by actively involving parents in their child’s care. This approach reduces separation between parents and their child, fostering closeness and bonding. The goal of FiCare is to support parents in becoming integral members of their infant's care team, boosting their confidence in parenting skills and creating a deeper bond with their baby.
How is Family Integrated Care Different from Other Types of Care?
In traditional NICU settings, infants and parents are often physically separated, with most care provided by NICU professionals. Family Centered Care encourages greater parent involvement in the care of their child while in the NICU. FiCare takes this a step further by placing parents at the center of their child’s care. NICU staff and parents work together as a team, with parents providing an equal amount of care.
How is Family Integrated Care Implemented in the NICU?
FiCare has been successfully implemented in NICUs worldwide, incorporating various strategies including educational, communication, and psychological support for parents. This prepares them to care for their infant effectively. The implementation of FiCare is guided by the '4 Pillars of FiCare':
Staff Education and Support: Providing education and tools for staff to educate parents in the care of their child and supporting staff to feel comfortable in doing so.
Parent Education: Equipping parents with the knowledge and skills to care for their child while in the NICU. This includes small group education sessions and bedside learning.
NICU Environment: Creating an environment that allows, encourages, and supports parents to be equal partners in their child’s medical team.
Psychosocial Support: Offering opportunities for support to help parents feel comfortable in providing care.
What are the Outcomes of Family Integrated Care?
Studies have shown that FiCare is a positive approach. The FiCare model has been associated with improved weight gain and growth of infants in the NICU, better feeding, and reduced parental anxiety and stress. These outcomes are crucial as they contribute to positive long-term behavioral and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Infants in the NICU often undergo painful and stressful procedures, which can lead to adverse behavioral and neurodevelopmental outcomes affecting language, motor function, and cognitive abilities. Research indicates that infants who experience parental closeness, including repeated touch in the NICU, demonstrate less emotional reactivity and decreased anxiety as children. Improved parent-infant relationships help reduce family strain and lead to better behavioral and neurodevelopmental outcomes for infants.
Disclaimer: This information by Running for Premature Babies Foundation is educational and informative in nature and is not medical advice or a healthcare recommendation. For further information, please Contact Us.
