ORCID

Abstract

Highlights: What are the main findings? Parental diary entries captured meaningful real-time observations of preterm infants’ health during the first 10 days of life in the NICU. These entries showed emotional depth and parental vigilance but lacked the clinical specificity to support prediction of BPD. What is the implication of the main finding? Parental observations, while insightful, do not appear to complement echocardiographic data in predicting early BPD development. Neonatal diaries may still hold value as a communication tool to enhance family-centred care and parent–staff collaboration in the NICU. Background/Objectives: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease affecting preterm infants, often resulting in prolonged neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays and significant parental stress. The experiences of parents navigating their preterm infant’s early NICU journey are important to support clinical trials to improve infant outcomes. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore parental perceptions of their infant’s health progression during the first 10 days of life through personal diary entries and their correlation with the echo scans assessments, as part of the Exploring Right vEntricular function applicability in a Prediction mOdel to identify pReterm infanTs with early BronchoPulmonary Dysplasia (REPORT-BPD) feasibility study. Methods: An embedded qualitative design was employed, utilising thematic analysis of 17 parent diaries. Parents of preterm infants (<32 weeks of gestation) admitted to a NICU documented their daily experiences. Thematic analysis was applied to ensure a rigorous, inductive examination of emerging themes. Findings: Four main themes were identified: (1) developing parent–infant relationships, highlighting the emotional impact of separation and the significance of bonding; (2) health and well-being of premature infants and family, reflecting parental vigilance, cautious optimism, and emotional distress; (3) parents navigating support and the NICU environment, describing challenges related to medical procedures, communication with staff, and adapting to a highly technical setting; and (4) emotions and protective gestures, illustrating parental resilience, coping mechanisms, and the innate drive to protect their child. Conclusions: Parental experiences in the NICU were shaped by emotional turmoil, uncertainty, and the need for support in navigating their infant’s care. Diaries provided an effective means for parents to express their experiences; they could serve as a communication tool in clinical trials to provide a deeper understanding of the development of the recruited preterm infants.

Publication Date

2025-08-12

Publication Title

Children

Volume

12

Issue

8

Acceptance Date

2025-08-07

Deposit Date

2026-05-01

Keywords

bronchopulmonary dysplasia, echocardiography, neonatal research diaries, preterm infants, qualitative analysis

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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