Scope

• Applies to all nurses employed in the Newborn Service.

Background

• Developmental support integrates the developmental needs of the infant in NICU within the framework of medical care.
• Key concepts for delivery of developmental care include promoting organised infant neurobehavioral and physiological function and tailoring the physical environment, such as light and sound, to protect vulnerable developing sensory systems, all within a context of family centred care.
• When providing developmental care for infants two overriding principles need to be considered:
  • First, that infants are unique and can display a wide variety of behaviours.
  • Second, that the physiological condition of infants differs widely. For example, a baby born at term who becomes critically ill will have different developmental needs to an infant who is term but born prematurely.
• Hence these recommendations are a guide not a rigid prescription for every baby. Assessment of infant cues remains central in the provision of developmental care.

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