Peer-reviewed article
Mother‐Newborn Couplet Care from theory to practice to ensure zero separation for all newborns
Stina Klemming, Siri Lilliesköld, Björn Westrup ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper describes Mother-Newborn Couplet Care, a model of care that keeps newborns and mothers together during medical treatment rather than separating them. The approach integrates advanced medical care with family-centered practices, particularly for premature or ill infants. The model requires changes to hospital systems, equipment, unit design, and staff training across obstetrics and paediatrics. Strong leadership and education are identified as essential to implement this approach successfully.
Key points
- Mother-Newborn Couplet Care maintains continuous close physical and psychological proximity between mother and infant throughout hospitalization
- The model integrates high-level technological and pharmaceutical treatment with caregiving considerations
- Implementation requires systems changes in both obstetrics and paediatrics including planning, organization, equipment and unit design
- Targeted education and training of staff, along with strong leadership setting clear goals, are identified as crucial for successful implementation
- The approach is framed within Infant- and Family-Centred Developmental Care (IFCDC) principles
Limitations
This appears to be a descriptive paper outlining the concept and requirements for Mother-Newborn Couplet Care rather than an empirical evaluation of its effectiveness. The document does not provide outcome data or evidence of impact on child or maternal health.
Abstract
With an increasing awareness of the importance of nurturing care and within a framework of Infant- and Family-Centred Developmental Care (IFCDC), zero separation, keeping parent and infant in continuous close physical and psychological proximity to each other, is key. In modern neonatology, high technological and pharmaceutical treatments are consistently integrated with caregiving considerations. Mother-Newborn Couplet Care is a concept of care where the dyad of the ill or prematurely born infant and the mother, needing medical care of her own, are cared for together, from the birth of the baby to its discharge. Mother-Newborn Couplet Care requires systems changes in both obstetrics and paediatrics considering planning and organisation of care, equipment and design of units. Accordingly, strong leadership setting clear goals and changing the professional mindset by providing targeted education and training is crucial to ensure the warranted high quality of care of all mother-baby dyads.