Application of the African Philosophy Ubuntu to the Care of Families With Infants Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia for the Treatment of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.

Neonatal intensive care units throughout the world strive to provide family-integrated care guided by the family-centred care philosophy. Under the family-integrated model of care, families are considered a member of the healthcare team and the primary caregivers to their newborn. Families experiencing intensive care related to their newborn acquiring hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy shortly before, during or after birth, are commonly prevented from holding or participating in the care of their newborn in the first few days of life. These restrictive practices are the very antithesis of family-centred or family-integrated care. The exclusion of families in the context of family-integrated care may be a result of the dissent amongst families, healthcare providers and scholars worldwide regarding the prioritisation of family-centred care philosophy. The African philosophy of Ubuntu share many of the concepts of family-centred care. This discursive paper will explore the competing frameworks and how the application of Ubuntu philosophy for the care of infants diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy lends to holistic care in the neonatal intensive care unit.