A recent survey completed by 242 parents of babies who received neonatal care from March to October, undertaken by Bliss also found that 39 per cent of parents said that the unit where their baby was cared for imposed time limits on how long parents could be with their baby for – some as little as two hours a day.
This was particularly acute for parents of the sickest babies – those who spent more than four weeks in hospital – with just under three-quarters (74 per cent) of them saying that restrictions on access affected their ability to be with their baby.
These limitations on parents’ presence at their babies’ cot side has had an enormous impact on families, with more than two fifths saying it affected their ability to bond with their baby.
Seventy percent of survey respondents also reported their mental health and wellbeing had been negatively affected, with this rising to 74 per cent for parents whose babies had extended stays.
Normally parents are allowed 24-hour access on Special Care Baby Units (SCBU).
Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive at Bliss, said, ‘Our findings show the devastating impact Covid-19 is having for families of premature and sick babies. A neonatal experience is extremely difficult at any time, but the current Covid-19 pandemic has made it even more challenging.
‘Parents are the most important people in their baby’s lives. While some Trusts have bent over backwards to ensure that parents have maintained 24/7 access to their babies, we are extremely disappointed that, despite clear, evidence-based recommendations to keep families together from Bliss and professional bodies like the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and the British Association of Perinatal Medicine, so many Trusts are still failing to act.’
She added, ‘We know these policies are also difficult for neonatal staff to implement, and many tell us they are keen to support more parental involvement – but they are struggling to secure this in the face of blanket Trust-wide restrictions on "visitors" across their hospitals.
‘Bliss is calling on NHS England to introduce a National Framework for parent access to neonatal units as a matter of urgency, and to work with NHS Trusts to implement it consistently across the country. Our smallest and sickest babies need their parents at their side to give them the best chance of survival and recovery, even during a pandemic.’
One in seven babies are born needing neonatal care in the UK every year, which accounts for 100,000 babies.
Parental involvement is proven to support sick and vulnerable babies to have the very best short and long-term outcomes and to support attachment and bonding, which is vital to the health and wellbeing of the whole family unit.
The findings come as neonatal units continue to limit when and for how long parents can be with their babies due to Covid-19. While guidance from national bodies and Bliss is clear that parents should never be considered visitors, some NHS Trusts are failing to provide adequate access for parents. While NHS England issued a National Framework to support the return of partners to maternity settings in September, this crucially did not include neonatal services.
Bliss said its survey highlights that national guidance to promote parent access to their babies in neonatal units is needed now more than ever to keep families together over the difficult winter ahead.
Case studies
Carly Maclean, whose daughter was born on 26 March, faced harsh restrictions. Like many other parents, she and her partner had to make difficult decisions and hear devastating news on their own, as they were not able to be in the unit with the baby at the same time.
Carly said, ‘Parents, often Dads, have had to make incomprehensible sacrifices to not be there for their partners and their children.
‘Having gone through a previous SCBU journey I can say without an ounce of doubt that Covid-19 has had a long lasting and mentally damaging impact on the SCBU journey with our daughter. When you’re sitting peering at your poorly baby, the only thing that can help is the gentle comfort of your partner, whether that is mundane conversation, a cup of tea, a hug or just the knowledge you’re not alone. Covid-19 took that away.’
A father of twins who completed Bliss’ survey said, ‘I got involved in all care but had to make hard choices. If I did care, I couldn’t do skin to skin with both twins in the allotted time. It made us feel punished for having twins.’
More information
Bliss’ position statement on Parental Access and Involvement, which provides a summary of national guidance and makes evidence-based recommendations for parental access during Covid-19 can be found here.