Abstract
That having a baby in hospital undergoing neonatal intensive care is a stressful event is beyond dispute. Ample evidence of its traumatic effect is to be found in parents’ own accounts (e.g. Stinson and Stinson, 1983; Hill, 1989), from observers’ records (e.g. Gustaitis and Young, 1986; Knepfer and Johns, 1989) and from scientific investigation (e.g. Jeffcoate, Humphrey and Lloyd, 1979; McHaffie, 1988). Increasing numbers of smaller and sicker babies are being admitted to neonatal units and babies are being discharged home earlier. These changes have obvious implications for both professional staff and families, since resources are finite, but parents of these children need help to adjust and cope. In this prospective study formal and informal sources of support for families of very low birthweight (VLBW) babies were investigated and current visiting policies in neonatal units were evaluated.
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McHaffie, H.E. (1995). Supporting families with a very low birthweight baby. In: Robinson, S., Thomson, A.M. (eds) Midwives, Research and Childbirth. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6956-9_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6956-9_11
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