Low birth weight and preterm infants nursing care

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) and preterm infants face significant challenges due to their underdeveloped systems. These fragile infants require specialized nursing care to optimize their outcomes, yet the literature lacks high-quality, evidence-based guidelines for their management. This review highlights the nursing interventions crucial for supporting extremely low gestational age infants, emphasizing family-integrated care (FICare) and optimal environmental management. Aim: The purpose of this review is to synthesize current evidence and provide updated recommendations for nursing care in LBW and preterm infants, focusing on family involvement, skin barrier management, temperature regulation, and minimizing pain and stress. Methods: This mini-review synthesizes existing literature on the nursing management of preterm and LBW infants. It includes studies on family-integrated care, skin barrier function, heat and humidity management, pain minimization, and routine caregiving interventions. Key themes were identified, and evidence supporting clinical practices was examined to provide updated care recommendations. Results: Family-integrated care (FICare) was found to significantly improve infant outcomes by enhancing parental involvement, promoting early skin-to-skin contact, and fostering shared decision-making. Skin barrier management, including minimizing insensible water loss (IWL) through environmental control such as incubator humidification, was shown to be critical for reducing fluid loss and supporting skin integrity

Biology · Intensive care medicine · Low birth weight · Neonatal intensive care unit · Neonatal nursing · Nursing care · Pregnancy · Infant Development and Preterm Care · Infant Nutrition and Health · Medicine · Neonatal Respiratory Health Research · Nursing · Pediatrics