Key Components of Parenting Education Interventions for Preterm Infant–Parent Dyads Admitted to the NICU: A Systematic Review

TL;DR

This study reviews parenting education programs for parents of preterm infants in NICUs, finding that they focus on education, structure, and support, but need better standardization and cultural adaptation.

Contribution

The study identifies three core components of NICU parenting education interventions and highlights the need for standardized, culturally responsive programs.

Findings

Parenting education interventions in NICUs focus on educational content, program structure, and integrated parental support.

Key content areas include NICU orientation, infant care, and discharge planning.

Program structures vary widely, with limited justification for design choices and inconsistent integration of parental support.

Abstract

What are the main findings?
Parental education interventions in NICU settings consistently centre on three core components: educational content, programme structure, and integrated parental support.Key educational content areas included NICU orientation, infant health/behaviour, infant care (particularly feeding), parental well-being and discharge planning.

Parental education interventions in NICU settings consistently centre on three core components: educational content, programme structure, and integrated parental support.

Key educational content areas included NICU orientation, infant health/behaviour, infant care (particularly feeding), parental well-being and discharge planning.

What are the implications of the main findings?
The lack of standardised programme structures and limited reporting on intervention development justify the need for clearer, evidence-based design and implementation guidance.Greater emphasis is needed on context-specific, culturally responsive interventions, particularly in low-resource settings, to ensure equitable access and improved outcomes.

The lack of standardised programme structures and limited reporting on intervention development justify the need for clearer, evidence-based design and implementation guidance.

Greater emphasis is needed on context-specific, culturally responsive interventions, particularly in low-resource settings, to ensure equitable access and improved outcomes.

Background: Parents of preterm infants face significant emotional, informational, and caregiving challenges during neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalisation. Educational interventions are increasingly used to support parental readiness; however, considerable variation exists in their content, structure, and delivery. A clearer understanding of these components is essential to inform the development of effective, contextually responsive programmes. Aim: To identify and synthesise the core educational components, programme structures, and embedded parental support needs within NICU-based educational interventions for parents of preterm infants. Methods: A systematic search of peer-reviewed literature (January 2010–September 2022) identified 33 studies of high methodological quality. Data were extracted and synthesised using thematic analysis. Results: Three overarching domains were identified: (1) educational content, (2) programme structure and delivery, and (3) parental support needs integrated within educational delivery. The educational content encompassed the NICU environment, infant health and behaviour, caregiving practices, parental well-being, and discharge preparation. Programme structures varied widely in terms of intensity, duration, delivery modality, and facilitator roles, with limited justification for structural choices. Parental support–emotional, relational, and confidence-building–was inconsistently embedded despite evidence of its importance. Established interventions such as COPE, FICare, and FCC have clearer theoretical foundations and more holistic support than most locally developed programmes. Conclusions: NICU educational interventions positively influence parental knowledge, confidence, and parent–infant interaction; however, substantial variation and limited conceptual grounding hinder their comparability and scalability. The evidence base remains dominated by high-income settings, which limits its global applicability. Future research must prioritise theory-informed design, transparent reporting, and context-sensitive adaptation, particularly in under-resourced health systems, to support equitable and effective parental education for families of preterm infants worldwide.

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