Individualized Family-Centered Developmental Care: An Essential Model to Address the Unique Needs of Infants With Congenital Heart Disease

Conclusions The experiences in the CICU shape the developing brain and alter recovery and healing, thus adversely impacting development. Individualized Family-centered Developmental Care is a promising model of care that nurses can integrate into the CICU to promote neuroprotection and development. Nurses can effectively integrate IFDC into the CICU by understanding the unique characteristics of infants with cCHD and applying IFDC interventions that include both maturity and recovery perspectives. Clinical Implications The incorporation of IFDC interventions is essential for the infant with cCHD and should be a standard of care. Applying IFDC with a recovery perspective in all aspects of caregiving will provide opportunities for individualization of care and parent engagement, allowing infants in the CICU to recover from surgery while supporting both short- and long-term neurodevelopment.
Source: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing - Category: Nursing Tags: ARTICLES: Congenital Heart Disease Source Type: research