How healthcare professionals can support parents to be involved in their baby's care

This section looks at what parents have told us about how they would like to be involved in their babies’ procedures. These include suggestions from parents and neonatal healthcare professionals for improving the process of involving parents in procedures.

We understand that the challenging reality of working in neonatal units means that some of these suggestions will not always be possible to follow. We hope that by sharing the views of parents and healthcare professionals in this way, we can work together to improve care on units for babies and their parents.

What research says about parents’ involvement in procedures

There is significant research to show that physical contact from parents can reduce a baby’s experience of pain during medical procedures. Our suggestion is that parents should be invited to be involved in procedures as much they want to be, from as early as practically possible.

Bliss has recently conducted research with parents about how they view painful procedures and how they would like to be involved. We have also conducted research with neonatal staff, to understand how communication with parents and support can be improved.

While many parents reported a positive experience around communication in the neonatal unit, of the 160 parents that responded to our survey, 53% of them said that they had not been aware that they could have had a positive impact on their baby by being involved during procedures.

Visit our page about research into parents involvement in neonatal procedures for more information.

It’s important to talk to parents about what types of touch are appropriate for their baby as soon as they feel ready when they arrive in the neonatal unit. This helps to improve parents’ confidence in caring for and bonding with their baby.

Sometimes parents might not realise how important their observations of their baby can be. It can be helpful to remind parents that watching their baby is an important part of their care and just by being there, they are doing enough.

Here are some useful resources that you can show parents to help them understand how their baby is feeling and if they might need comforting:

• ‘Look at me, I’m talking to you’ free information guide from the Bliss Shop.
• NHS South Tees Hospitals - Baby cues on the neonatal unit.
• Sensory Beginnings – Behavioural Cues (PDF).

How parents can be involved

While it can sometimes be difficult to involve parents, there are very few procedures that parents can’t be involved in.

Where possible, care and equipment should be adjusted so that parents can help to comfort their baby. Where care can’t be navigated safely, alternative options for comfort should be offered to parents, for example, being in the room and talking to their baby.