Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey on the present status of medical support pertaining to subsequent pregnancies for mothers and immediate family members of infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Method: Questionnaires were mailed to doctors and nurses who often take care of infants hospitalized in the NICU. Data were descriptively analyzed.
Results: A total of 183 valid responses were received. Overall, 170 (92.9%) participants know that mothers may be worried and are uncertain about the decision of subsequent pregnancies. In addition, 132 (72.1%) participants supported that parents could consult the medical staff. The main reasons given for the lack of support were that practitioners lacked sufficient time, were overworked, and were not knowledgeable. Cooperation with the experts was considered most important in improving support for these mothers and their families. In total, 150 (82.4%) participants thought that new mothers should be given medical information pertaining to subsequent pregnancies.
Conclusion: This study showed that the majority of doctors and nurses who take care of children hospitalized in the NICU and the parents understand parents' needs about subsequent pregnancy and attempt to provide support in their areas of specialty. Our results suggest the establishment of a multidisciplinary support system with the collaboration of parents as peer support, and an enriched provision of information about subsequent pregnancies using mediums such as booklet distribution.