Overview

Family Integrated Care is designed to eliminate the barriers between parents and their infants in the NICU by involving parents of premature infants in their care. Parents are integrated into both the healthcare team and the care of their infant. Through this approach, parents are informed about how they can contribute to their infant's overall development, including neurological and sensory development, motor and behavioral progress, as well as practices such as touch, bonding, skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, and increasing breast milk production. They are also educated on general hygiene and care tasks such as diaper changing and body cleaning. This model places importance on the protection and enhancement of both the physical and psychological well-being of the parent and the infant. During this process, parents move beyond being mere "visitors" in the unit to becoming active "participants" and members of the care team. Family integrated care aims to support parents in becoming the primary caregivers for their infants, both during hospitalization and after discharge. This model not only provides education and counseling but also supports the family's comprehensive involvement in the infant's care.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• The newborn must be premature (gestational age >28 and <34 weeks),
• The infant must be admitted to the NICU and hospitalized for at least 3 days,
• The mother must be open to communication and cooperation,
• The mother must voluntarily agree to participate in the study,
• The mother must be literate,
• The mother must be able to speak and understand Turkish,
• The mother must be primiparous and experiencing motherhood for the first time,
• The mother must be over 18 years of age,
• Mothers in the intervention group must be present in the hospital for an average of 6-8 hours per day.

Exclusion Criteria:

• The newborn has a congenital anomaly (e.g., craniofacial anomalies such as cleft palate, cleft lip, or facial muscle paralysis),
• The newborn has a diagnosed gastrointestinal, neurological, or genetic disorder (e.g., necrotizing enterocolitis, hydrocephalus, Down syndrome, omphalocele, gastroschisis, short bowel syndrome, or other diseases),
• The newborn has a congenital heart defect requiring surgical intervention,
• The mother has a diagnosed psychiatric illness,
• The mother and/or father do not wish to participate in the study.

Withdrawal Criteria:

• The mother does not attend the training sessions during the study period,
• The mother fails to maintain cooperation throughout the study,
• The newborn is transferred to another healthcare center for any reason,
• The mother wishes to withdraw from the study,
• The newborn is diagnosed with a chronic illness during the study process.