Supportive Literature

Did you know LOS can be decreased when we focus on non-pharmacological interventions for opioid exposed infants? In a 2019 literature review, Piccotti and associates examined the effects of the opioid crisis on pregnant women, mothers, and their infants. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey, more than 14 million [...]

Did you know how we engage with families impacts how supported they feel? In a 2019 article entitled Parents’ Experiences of Support In NICU Single-Family Rooms, Liu & Associates explored parental feelings of support and nonsupport in the single family room design of a Level III NICU in Canada. We know that single family rooms [...]

Did you know each time you position a baby in the NICU you can improve their motor development and weight gain?   In a 2019 study, Improving Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in NICU Patients, Painter & colleagues examined the impact of developmental positioning on length of stay, weight gain, tone and flexion. Researchers performed a retrospective chart [...]

Design Recommended Standards for Newborn ICU Design. Clearwater Beach, FL: Committee to Establish Recommended Standards for Newborn ICU Design; 2012. Eighth Census Conference on Newborn ICU Design   Standard 14: Ambient lighting in Infant Care Area 10 to 600 lux with adjustable, manual controls CRI > 80 and 80 < GAI < 100 Standard 15: [...]

Did you know extremely preterm infants in the NICU are alone 80% of the time during the first 30 days of life?    In the 2018 study by Gonya and colleagues, entitled Human Interaction in the NICU and its Association with Outcomes on the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), researchers examined the relationship between [...]

Did you know infants treated for neonatal abstinence syndrome score significantly lower in cognitive, language, and motor outcomes at age 2?    In the 2018 study by Merhar and colleagues, entitled Retrospective Review of Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Infants Treated for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, researchers completed a retrospective cohort study looking at neurodevelopmental outcomes of 87 infants treated for [...]

Did you know that targeted education can improve staff knowledge and caregiving practices in the NICU?    In the 2018 study by Charafeddine and colleagues, entitled Targeted Educational Program Improves Infant Positioning Practice in the NICU, researchers focused on improving the consistency of  therapeutic positioning in their unit. This was achieved by completing two rounds of [...]

Did you know skin-to-skin holding increases oxytocin and decreases cortisol in babies and their parents?  In the 2018 study by Vittner and colleagues, entitled Increase in Oxytocin From Skin-to-Skin Contact Enhances Development of Parent-Infant Relationship, researchers studied the correlation between skin-to-skin holding and oxytocin and cortisol levels and parental stress and anxiety. This randomized crossover study [...]