Optimal presence: enhancing parent integration to maximize neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.

Preterm birth disrupts the natural progression of events in the parent-infant relationship and bestows many of the typical parent responsibilities to the clinical care team. In turn, the neonatal intensive care environment (NICU) introduces obstacles to parents that would not otherwise be encountered and forces parents to adapt to this artificial environment as they seek to bond with and care for their newborn. Facilitating parent presence at the bedside and incorporating them into the care of their preterm infant is critical for lessening the immediate burden to both the parent and offspring while also ensuring the best possible outcome for preterm infants. In this review, we explore the impact that parents exert on the neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants and identify several barriers and facilitators to parent presence.