Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reimagination through renovation: incorporating couplet care in a level 4 academic NICU

  • Feature
  • Published:
Journal of Perinatology Submit manuscript

In this article, we describe our experience in developing couplet care in our level 4 academic neonatal intensive care unit. We discuss the steps for implementation and optimization of couplet care as part of the renovation and reconstruction of a previous unit. Preliminary data from our couplet care population when compared to historical controls revealed significantly higher rates of any breastfeeding and shorter length of stay for our couplet care neonates. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities in undergoing such an undertaking. Many minds and hands worked together to make this reality possible.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1: Couplet Care Room Schematic.
Fig. 2: Couple Care Hospital Room.

Data availability

The dataset reported in this current article is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  1. Klemming S, Lilliesköld S, Westrup B. Mother-Newborn Couplet Care from theory to practice to ensure zero separation for all newborns. Acta Paediatr. 2021;110:2951– 7. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.15997.

  2. Cottrell BH, Grubbs LM. Women’s satisfaction with couplet care nursing compared to traditional postpartum care with rooming-in. Res Nurs Health. 1994;17:401–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Spradlin LR. Implementation of a couplet care program for families after a cesarean birth. AORN J. 2009;89:553–5. 558–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. van Veenendaal NR, van Kempen AAMW, Broekman BFP, de Groof F, van Laerhoven H, van den Heuvel MEN, et al. Association of a zero-separation neonatal care model with stress in mothers of preterm infants. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5:e224514.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. de Salaberry J, Hait V, Thornton K, Bolton M, Abrams M, Shivananda S, et al. Journey to mother baby care: implementation of a combined care/couplet model in a Level 2 neonatal intensive care unit. Birth Defects Res. 2019;111:1060–72. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.1524.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Brooke Redmond & Christie J. Bruno

  2. Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA

    Tracy Gambardella

Authors
  1. Brooke Redmond
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tracy Gambardella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christie J. Bruno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

BR, TG, and CJB conceptualized, wrote, revised, and approved this manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christie J. Bruno.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Redmond, B., Gambardella, T. & Bruno, C.J. Reimagination through renovation: incorporating couplet care in a level 4 academic NICU. J Perinatol 43 (Suppl 1), 26–29 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-023-01814-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-023-01814-1

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation