Trauma-Informed Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Infants, Families, and Care Teams

In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), patients, families, and care teams are all likely to undergo traumatic experiences. Infants are separated from their parents and undergo multiple painful or stressful procedures. Families experience fear for their infants' health and survival and the disempowerment coming with a loss of parental role; many also experience differential treatment by race, language, or other factors. Care teams bear witness to the illness and sometimes death of infants and the pain of their families. All these and many other experiences constitute trauma, which may impact the long-term course of infants and families. Trauma-informed care has therefore been promoted as a universal practice. In the NICU, trauma-informed care principles may be applied to help optimally care for infants and their families as well as to support members of the care team.