Celebrating World NIDCAP Day

The 20th of March is World NIDCAP (Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program) Day. This annual recognition day aims to raise awareness of the importance of NIDCAP, improving the hospital stay of newborns and families worldwide.

NIDCAP was established by Dr. Heidelise Als and her colleagues in the 1980s and advocates for personalized developmental care tailored to newborns and their families, emphasizing a child and family-centered approach. Unlike traditional care approaches, which may focus primarily on medical interventions, NIDCAP recognizes the critical role of the environment and nurturing interactions in promoting the optimal development of premature babies.

At the heart of the NIDCAP approach is the concept of “neuroprotective caregiving,” which involves creating a supportive environment that mimics the womb as closely as possible. This may include minimizing exposure to excessive noise and light, promoting skin-to-skin contact between parents and infants (also known as kangaroo care), and ensuring a gentle, soothing atmosphere in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The impact of NIDCAP extends far beyond the NICU. Research has shown that infants who receive NIDCAP-based care experience better neurodevelopmental outcomes1,including improved cognitive and motor skills, reduced stress levels, and enhanced bonding with their caregivers. Moreover, NIDCAP emphasizes the importance of involving parents as active participants in their baby’s care, empowering them to play a central role in their child’s journey to health and wellness.2

World NICAP Day is a celebration of progress that has been made in promoting personalized developmental care. Acknowledging their global work on the same day each year raises attention for NIDCAP and promotes opportunities for everyone to discuss NIDCAP and why it matters. For more information go to: https://nidcap.org/world-nidcap-day/#why

SurePulse recognises the importance of baby and family centric care and initiatives such as NIDCAP. Our vision is a world where baby-centric innovations transform neonatal outcomes. The SurePulse VS is SurePulse’s first device, approved in the US, UK and EU for clinical use, and comprises a thermo-protective single-use cap that provides clinical teams with wireless, continuous and accurate heart rate information. Use of the SurePulse VS has the potential to assist safe and effective newborn monitoring whilst allowing families greater autonomy during first cuddles with their babies in the delivery room, and during skin-to-skin/kangaroo care in the NICU3.

References

  1. McAnulty G., Duffy F.H., Butler S., Parad R., Ringer S., Zurakowski D., Als H. Individualized developmental care for a large sample of very preterm infants: Health, neurobehaviour and neurophysiology. Acta Paediatr. 2009;98:1920–1926. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01492.x
  2. Als H, McAnulty GB. The Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) with Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC): Comprehensive Care for Preterm Infants. Curr Womens Health Rev. 2011 Aug;7(3):288-301. doi: 10.2174/157340411796355216. PMID: 25473384; PMCID: PMC4248304.
  3. J Myhill, L Pocock, P Clarke. Feasibility and acceptability of a novel forehead-mounted wireless heart rate monitoring device in preterm babies. Presentation at jENS 2023.
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