[Accompanying parents' spiritual needs in neonatal care].

BACKGROUND

Spirituality in the field of neonatology begins with the care of pregnant women at risk of premature birth. This existential threat at the very beginning of life inevitably leads to a need for spiritual support. One major focus of care in prematurity is on building a bond between parents and child, which is fundamental for the child's further development.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the spiritual needs of parents in perinatal care and to demonstrate a possible way to meeting these needs.

METHODS

This work is based on case reports, identification of topics, and a systematic literature search.

RESULTS

The identified studies show considerable heterogeneity, e.g., regarding research questions and neonatal care settings. Across studies, spirituality was consistently found to play a significant role in perinatology, closely associated with parents' existential anxiety, which can interfere with the development of the parent-infant relationship. Parents consistently expressed the expectation that their spiritual needs are recognized; however, these needs were often inadequately addressed by the perinatal care team.

CONCLUSION

Spirituality is among the essential needs of parents of preterm infants in the intensive care unit. It enables parents to reduce stressors and thereby facilitates the establishment of a parent-infant relationship.