ReviewChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2026
Key Components of Parenting Education Interventions for Preterm Infant-Parent Dyads Admitted to the NICU: A Systematic Review.
Review in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- The NeuroSense PremmieEd Parenting Educational Intervention (PremmieSense)-A Neuroprotective Intervention for Preterm Infant-Parent Dyads: Reported Using the TIDieR Framework.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Person-Centered Exploration of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Stressors and Social Support in Parenting Very Preterm Infants: A Cross-Sectional Study on Risks and Resources in Italy and Portugal.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Review
- Parental Educational Needs During the NICU Stay: Mothers' Perspectives.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The lived experiences of South African parents during high-risk pregnancy and prolonged neonatal intensive care unit admission.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundParents of preterm infants face significant emotional, informational, and caregiving challenges during neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalisation. Educational interventions are increasingly used to support parental readiness; however, considerable variation exists in their content, structure, and delivery. A clearer understanding of these components is essential to inform the development of effective, contextually responsive programmes.
aimTo identify and synthesise the core educational components, programme structures, and embedded parental support needs within NICU-based educational interventions for parents of preterm infants.
methodsA systematic search of peer-reviewed literature (January 2010-September 2022) identified 33 studies of high methodological quality. Data were extracted and synthesised using thematic analysis.
resultsThree overarching domains were identified: (1) educational content, (2) programme structure and delivery, and (3) parental support needs integrated within educational delivery. The educational content encompassed the NICU environment, infant health and behaviour, caregiving practices, parental well-being, and discharge preparation. Programme structures varied widely in terms of intensity, duration, delivery modality, and facilitator roles, with limited justification for structural choices. Parental support-emotional, relational, and confidence-building-was inconsistently embedded despite evidence of its importance. Established interventions such as COPE, FICare, and FCC have clearer theoretical foundations and more holistic support than most locally developed programmes.
conclusionsNICU educational interventions positively influence parental knowledge, confidence, and parent-infant interaction; however, substantial variation and limited conceptual grounding hinder their comparability and scalability. The evidence base remains dominated by high-income settings, which limits its global applicability. Future research must prioritise theory-informed design, transparent reporting, and context-sensitive adaptation, particularly in under-resourced health systems, to support equitable and effective parental education for families of preterm infants worldwide.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.