10 Questions to Ask When Navigating the NICU
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Overview
Open communication with your healthcare team is essential. Don't hesitate to seek clarification whenever you have concerns or need more information. The NICU staff is there to provide care and support for both you and your baby.
Related items
Building Resilience in the NICU
The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides care to some of the most vulnerable patients and families in the hospital. Pressures on NICU staff are enormous due to babies’ complex medical needs and the related impact on caregivers. This curated collection of resources explores ways to incorporate a trauma and resilience informed approach in the NICU through virtual trainings, videos, and printable tools from the UCLA Family Development Program.
The Resilient NICU
In this course, some of the basic concepts of trauma and resilience informed care will be examined, with a focus on how to improve the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience for families and, in turn, improve infant health outcomes. Several situations that may be encountered in the NICU are explored and ways to help alleviate the impact of trauma for families, providers, and the people with whom we work are reviewed. Learn more about the professional credits offered here
Microaggressions in the NICU Tip Sheet
Microaggressions may seem subtle and harmless, but they can profoundly impact the emotional wellbeing and trust of families in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This handout educates about microaggressions, and provides microintervention strategies to help address microaggressions and enhance the quality of care for diverse communities in the NICU.
Supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse NICU Families
Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) serve families from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This handout outlines multiple strategies to support linguistically diverse families in the NICU.
When New Parents Have Trauma Histories: Recognizing and Responding With Sensitivity
Past experiences can shape the way caregivers approach the addition of a new baby. This handout gives insight into common trauma signs caregivers can experience, and tips on how to respond with compassion and support.
Feeding Newborns: Inclusive Strategies to Build Empathy and Equity With Families
Feeding is a caregiving act that can bring up a wide range of emotions, including joy, contentment, guilt, worry, and frustration. Providers and clinical staff can help families practice self-compassion throughout their feeding journey by understanding the history and contexts that inform how families approach infant feeding.
NICU Resources for Feeding and Sleep
We live in a time of unprecedented access to information. We can ask almost any question and find an answer. When it comes to parenting, it can be overwhelming and confusing to sort through seemingly opposing information. This is especially true for parents navigating their child's medical challenges.
Parent/Caregiver Resources for Social-Emotional Development/Behavior Management
This resource list on social-emotional/behavior management was compiled by the providers at the UCLA Family Development Program to support parents/caregivers of newborns and infants. While this is not a comprehensive list, these books, websites, and podcasts offer sound advice that aligns with expert guidance.
Parent/Caregiver Resources for Transition to Parenthood and Special Needs Parenting
This resource list on transitioning to parenthood and special needs parenting was compiled by the providers at the UCLA Family Development Program to support parents/caregivers of newborns and infants. While this is not a comprehensive list, these books, websites, and podcasts offer sound advice that aligns with expert guidance.
Welcome - We're glad you're here
Who we are
Who we are
- UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence
- DMH + UCLA Public Mental Health Partnership
- UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence
- UCLA Depression Grand Challenge's Screening and Treatment for Anxiety and Depression (STAND) Program
- UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families
- UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA
- National Clinical Scholars Program
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