Technology to support bonding when separated at birth: A narrative review

Background Across the United States, newborns are being transferred from their birth hospital to a tertiary hospital for more care. This action separates the mother from her newborn, breaking a bond, or emotional tie, between the two. This narrative review explores the available literature on technology being used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to help support bonding when the mother is separated from her newborn. Methods Utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) approach for this review, four databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PUBMED) were searched. Terms searched were bonding, technology, neonatal intensive care OR NICU, and web camera. The search included the years 2016-2023 and the English language. Results Eleven studies were included in this review, which resulted in the identification of three positive and two negative emotions that described how parents felt about using technology to see their newborn. The positive emotions include a decrease in stress and anxiety, and improved family relationships. The negative emotions included guilt and experiencing psychological distress. Additionally, the review showed that staff in the NICU need to be consulted before implementing this type of technology to ensure success. Conclusion Understanding the different types of technology in the NICU, how it affects parents, and nurse workflow is necessary to identify ways to promote bonding when separated at birth.