Little Bookworms: Examining participation in a NICU reading program and parental attachment and anxiety

BackgroundIn recent years, bedside reading programs have multiplied as an accessible means of enhancing parent/caregiver engagement in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, little is yet known about the relationship between program participation and parent/caregiver well-being. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate potential relationships between a parent-led, bedside NICU reading program and parent/caregiver attachment, anxiety, and satisfaction.MethodsA sample of 60 NICU parents/caregivers participated in a parent-led, bedside reading program in 2024. They completed pre- and post-intervention self-reported measures of anxiety and attachment; upon discharge, participants also completed a Program Perceptions and Experiences survey.ResultsParent-reported anxiety was observed to decrease significantly between the pre- and post-intervention time points. Overall, postnatal attachment scores, and more specifically, Quality of Attachment sub-scale scores, were seen to significantly increase in mothers between the pre- and post-intervention periods. Conversely, no significant differences in attachment were found in fathers across time points. Program Perceptions and Experiences survey responses indicated participants enjoyed the reading program and perceived that it enhanced their feelings of attachment towards their infants.ConclusionsParticipants reported significant decreases in anxiety and significant increases in postnatal attachment over time, with more pronounced change observed in mothers compared to fathers. Though these results may also align with improving medical status and movement towards discharge, participants' positive reflections on the program, combined with the minimal time and resources required to implement it, suggest that parental bedside reading interventions for NICU parents/caregivers may be a useful avenue of family-centered intervention.