Parenting in the NICU during COVID-19
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Parent Experience in the NICU: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic (PEN-ICP)
IRAS ID
296268
Contact name
Deanna Gibbs
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Barts Health NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in changes in our daily lives in an effort to control the spread of the virus. This has included wide-scale restrictions for visiting patients in hospital, including the access of parents and families of babies receiving care in neonatal units. We do not yet have good evidence to help us understand the impact this experience has from the perspective of parents who have cared for their baby in a neonatal unit. We need to better understand the impact of these changes on parents sense of well-being and their developing relationship with their baby so we can provide the most supportive approach possible. This qualitative study will involve partnering with parents to explore how they experienced being a parent in the neonatal unit during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will include understanding how they were involved in caring for their infant, and how they believe this experience has impacted on their relationship with their baby.
10-15 parents of babies that were admitted to the neonatal unit since April 2020 will be invited to participate in interviews lasting 60-90 minutes, which will be like a guided conversation about the topic. Interviews will be conducted via phone or video call. Interview data will be transcribed and analysed to capture meaningful experiences from the parent accounts. These meanings will then be categorised into themes which will provide an interpretive summary of the parent experience. The study findings will generate recommendations for proactively supporting parents in future.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NW/0302
Date of REC Opinion
3 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion