Bliss research into parents’ involvement in neonatal procedures 

In January 2022, Bliss conducted two research surveys to better understand how parents were being involved in their baby’s medical procedures.

One survey was answered by 161 parents and the other survey was answered by 60 neonatal healthcare professionals.

This page shares some of the insights we gained from the two surveys.

What type of neonatal unit did your baby spend the most time in?

Just over half of parents (84) responded that their baby spent time on a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), 56 parents responded a special care baby unit (SCBU), 10 said a local neonatal unit (LNU), 3 said transitional care and 8 parents said their baby spent time on a different type of unit.

Were you told about the effects parental touch can have on comforting babies through uncomfortable or painful procedures?

When asked whether they were told about the effect parental touch can have on comforting their baby through uncomfortable or painful procedures, over half of parents (86) responded that they were not. 58 parents responded that they had been told and 16 were not sure if they had been told about these effects.

What types of parental touch were you taught to give your baby during their time on the unit? How confident were you providing these, with or without support from the care team?

Most parents were confident in hugging, cuddling or holding their baby - 47% felt confident with support, 45% felt confident without support, and 8% did not feel confident.

When it came to massaging and stroking their baby 56% of parents felt confident doing this without support, 26% felt confident with support and 18% did not feel confident to do this.

Half of parents felt confident to do Skin-to-skin (kangaroo care) with support (51%). 34% felt confident to do Skin-to-skin (kangaroo care) without support and 15% did not feel confident to provide this type of parental touch.

Which of these common procedures did your baby have and how were you involved?

When it came to their baby’s blood tests, 39% of parents responded that they were encouraged to be involved. 17% responded that they were encouraged to be present, while 38% responded that they were not encouraged to be involved or present and 6% responded that they were discouraged from being present or involved.

With cannula placement procedures nearly half of parents were not encouraged to be present or involved (47%), with 20% responding that they were discouraged from being present or involved, 18% responding that they were encouraged to be involved and 15% responding that they were encouraged to be present.

A third of parents (34%) were discouraged from being present or involved when their baby was intubated or extubated. 27% were not encouraged to be present or involved, 12% were encouraged to be present and 7% were encouraged to be involved.

42% of parents responded that they were encouraged to be involved with their baby’s vaccinations. 30% of parents responded that they were not encouraged to be present or involved with 22% responding that they were encouraged to be present and 5% responding that they were discouraged from being present or involved.

When it came to feeding tube insertion nearly half of parents (48%) responded that they were not encouraged to be present or involved in the procedure. 29% of parents responded that they were encouraged to be involved, 12% responded that they were encouraged to be present and 11% responded that they were discouraged from being present or involved in the procedure.

Just over a third of parents (38%) were not encouraged to be present or involved when their baby had an eye exam. 23% of parents were discouraged from being present or involved, 20% were encouraged to be present and 19% were encouraged to be involved.

In your current role, do you introduce parents to the concept of 'parental touch' (e.g. skin-to-skin, comfort holding, stroking etc.) and teach them how to deliver it?

Healthcare professionals were asked if in their current roles they introduce parents to the concept of 'parental touch' and teach them how to deliver it, most (49) responded ‘Yes, regularly’, 10 responded ‘Yes, sometimes’ and 1 responded ‘No’.

Which of these common procedures do you administer, or are present for when they are administered, and how are parents involved?

We asked healthcare professionals about how parents are involved in common procedures. When it came to blood tests, 80% of healthcare professionals responded that parents were encouraged to be involved in the procedure, 11% of healthcare professionals said parents were encouraged to be present, 7% of healthcare professionals said parents were not encouraged to be present or involved and 2% of healthcare professionals said parents were discouraged from being present and involved.

With cannula placement procedures 62% of healthcare professionals responded that parents were encouraged to be involved. 18% of healthcare professionals said parents were encouraged to be present, 17% said parents were not encouraged to be present or involved and 3% of healthcare professionals said parents were discouraged from being present or involved.

When it came to intubation or extubation procedures two-fifths of healthcare professionals (39%) responded that parents were not encouraged to be present or involved. 29% of healthcare professionals said parents were encouraged to be present, 20% of healthcare professionals said parents were discouraged from being present or involved and 13% of healthcare professionals said parents were encouraged to be involved.

When we asked healthcare professionals about parent involvement in vaccinations 77% said parents were encouraged to be involved. 20% of healthcare professionals said parents were encouraged to be present. 2% of healthcare professionals said parents were not encouraged to be present or involved and 2% of healthcare professionals said parents were discouraged from being present or involved.

With feeding tube insertion, healthcare professionals said that 59% of parents were encouraged to be involved in the procedure. 28% of healthcare professionals said parents were encouraged to be present, 11% of healthcare professionals said parents were not encouraged to be present or involved and 2% of healthcare professionals said parents were discouraged from being present or involved.

When asked about parental involvement in eye exams 53% of healthcare professionals said that parents were encouraged to be involved in the procedure. 25% responded that parents were encouraged to be present. 18% responded that parents were not encouraged to be present or involved and 4% said that parents were discouraged from being present or involved.

Do you think parental touch is an effective treatment to help manage painful procedures for babies?

When we asked whether they think parental touch is an effective treatment to help manage painful procedures for babies 54 healthcare professionals responded ‘Yes’, 2 responded ‘No’, 2 were unsure and 2 responded ‘Other’.