Supporting New Parents of Medically Complex Infants
Overview
This Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) Seminar will provide an overview of emotional challenges specific to new parents with medically ill infants and intervention strategies to mitigate stress and increase coping in this population. This seminar will begin with an overview of the transition to parenthood in the context of medical complexity, including specific needs of parents of medically ill infants before, during, and after hospitalization. We will describe ways in which parents of medically complex infants are vulnerable to trauma and stressor-related disorders and perinatal mental illness. We will provide an overview of how parents’ emotional trajectories differ from family to family and change over time. Dr. Kuzava will then provide an overview of intervention techniques for this population, organized by individual, family, and systems levels. The seminar will conclude by highlighting important takeaways for professionals supporting new parents of medically ill infants.
Learning objectives
- Describe 3 specific emotional and psychological needs of new parents with medically ill infants and ways in which clinicians can respond to these needs
- Explain how the experience of caring for a child with medical needs differs by parent and changes over time
- Integrate individual, family, and system interventions for new parents of medically ill infants into clinical practice
Professional credit
- This activity offers the following types of credit: APA
- 1.0 CEs are available.
- Additional details can be found in the activity document for this resource.