6823 ‘Nell and the neonatal unit’ – A software app to support siblings through the neonatal unit

Objectives To create an innovative App which aims to educate children regarding their sibling's Neonatal Unit (NNU) admission, whilst offering emotional support and psychological strategies to aid coping. Methods Neonatal units across the world are rightly promoting the value of Family Integrated Care. Whilst this is shown to benefit the hospitalised infant, enhance bonding, and lead to improved wellbeing for babies and parents,¹ it can be difficult to always hold in mind the needs of older siblings. A new baby is always a time of adaptation for siblings, which is intensified when a NNU stay is involved.² The aim of this project was to develop a software application (app) for tablets and smart phones which attempted to meet some of these needs. It aims to educate primary school aged siblings, on the environment, equipment and staff on the NNU. It will provide emotional support through stories, games and animation with the inclusion of psychological strategies to support positive coping. It will offer a shared space for parents and siblings to talk about their neonatal experiences and hopefully reduce anxiety for both. The initial app will contain two separate stories covering the preterm baby and term baby requiring surgery. Parental experiences and opinions were sought in the initial developmental stages of the project. A focus group was conducted including seven families who had experienced the admission of a baby to the NNU, who also had older children. Several children contributed to the discussion. The families all used a beta version of the first story line on the app and reviewed the animation and content for the second. Results The functionality and usability, in addition to content and engagement were discussed. Several themes were raised. The overall feedback was very positive and families felt like this app would have been invaluable during their NNU journey. Some of the suggestions included improvement of game usability, speed through the app, benefits of specific education on breastfeeding and use of language. The children also had several innovative ideas. Conclusion This App hopes to improve the NNU journey for not only siblings, but the whole family, supporting family integrated care. The App has been well received and has patient involvement at its core to ensure it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of the child in an age-appropriate way. We will have an App to showcase and plan for further story lines including covering bereavement. References Waddington C, Van Veenendaal N R, O'Brien K, Patel N. Family integrated care: supporting parents as primary caregivers in the neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatric Investigation Jun 2021. Zolten K, Long, N. 'Sibling rivalry and the birth of a new baby. Centre for effective parenting'. 1997.