Case study of an educational intervention to favor siblings’ adaptation during the hospitalization of a preterm infant in the neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract Hospitalization of a preterm infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) places additional strain on the family and influences the siblings' adaptation. Although it is essential to support the siblings’ adaptation and provide family-centered care in the NICU, sibling involvement is rarely integrated into nursing care. An evidence-based intervention was therefore developed in a level-III NICU and its impact on sibling adaptation was evaluated using a Case study in which three families with a hospitalized infant and siblings between 3 and 12 years old participated. The parents were asked to consult a website and attend a 30-min educational session on issues related to sibling adaptation, and the siblings received a structured introduction to the NICU and visited the preterm infant. All three families were satisfied with the activities, although two parents felt neutral about whether the intervention met their expectations. Overall, the intervention seems to have the potential to facilitate sibling adaptation during the experience of a NICU hospitalization.