Parental Support Technologies in Nicu: Digital Intervention to Reduce Stress and Improve Bonding

Parents of infants admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) frequently experience elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, which may negatively affect early bonding and caregiving confidence. Digital interventions have emerged as accessible and scalable tools to address these challenges. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on five categories of digital parental support: mHealth applications, telehealth and video communication systems, digital psychological interventions, virtual peer support platforms and IA based solutions. The findings suggest that mHealth interventions can improve parental self-efficacy and reduce stress, while telehealth solutions enhance communication with healthcare providers and increase perceived involvement. Digital psychological interventions, including CBT, ACT, and mindfulness-based approaches, support emotional regulation and reduce depressive symptoms. Peer support platforms contribute to social connectedness, empowerment, and shared experiential learning. AI based solutions, including chatbots and predictive monitoring tools may enhance communication, education and engagement in neonatal care. Despite these promising outcomes, the evidence remains heterogeneous in terms of study design, intervention characteristics, and outcome measures. Future research should focus on long-term effectiveness, standardized evaluation, and equitable access, as well as the integration of multiple digital modalities. A combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches may support the development of user-centered, evidence-based systems that enhance parental well-being and strengthen parent–infant bonding in NICU settings.