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The Global Challenge

  • Worldwide prematurity rates steadily increase
  • Thirteen million infants are born prematurely each year, i.e. 10% of all births
  • More than 50% of children born preterm show learning disabilities, attention deficits, behavior problems, emotional issues, and school failure

Infants’ Expected Environment –  Interrupted

Three expected environments are altered or missing:

  • The Mother’s Womb
  • Her Breast and Body
  • The Family’s Social Group

And are replaced by:

The Newborn Intensive Care Environment with its…

  • Incubators and Machines
  • Parent Separation
  • Painful Touch
  • Many Hands

The Opportunities

 

Behavior

  • Continuous expression of brain function
  • Always available to be observed
  • Guide for environment, interaction and care

Peaceful and Assuring Intimacy

Safeguarding a quiet soothing environment for infant and family

Our Models

The Synactive Model depicts the foundations of the NIDCAP philosophy.

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The Model of the NIDCAP Nursery describes the workings of the NIDCAP philosophy within a nursery system.

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Research
Shows

Significant Reduction in:

  • Ventilator Days
  • Extra Oxygen Days
  • Gavage Feeding Days
  • Severity of BPD
  • Incidence of IVH
  • Weight Gain Problems
  • Growth Problems
  • Length Hospital Stay
  • Age at Discharge

Significant Improvement in:

  • Neurobehavior Functioning
    [2 weeks 9 or 12 months, 2, 3, & 8 years Corrected Age (CA)]
  • EEG Coherence: Better Frontal Lobe Engagement (2wCA & 8yCA)
  • MRI: Better White Matter Development in Frontal Lobe and Internal Capsule (2wCA)
  • Parent Confidence & Competence

Our Impact

  • Globally > 2,000 NIDCAP Professionals
  • Thirty (30) NIDCAP Training Centers: USA-5; Canada-1; Europe-20; Argentina-1; Israel-1; Australia-1; Japan-1
  • NIDCAP Nursery Program (NNP) (2011): Excellence in Philosophy and Care of Infants, Families, Staff & Professionals, and in terms of the Environment. Eight NFI-Certified NIDCAP Nurseries: USA-3; France-2; Israel-1; Denmark-1; Sweden-1

NIDCAP Protects the Developing Brain