You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
Having a child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) profoundly reshapes family life. This article examines the impact of the NICU experience on attachment, parental well-being, and the central role of communication both during and after hospitalization. We describe how early attachment processes are disrupted during the medical stay, how parents experience the emotional weight of uncertainty and separation, and how resilience is a key protective factor amid these challenges. Practical strategies are outlined, including developmental care models, sensitive provider-parental communication, and social support interventions. This article is written for mental health professionals embedded in the NICU and highlights how compassionate communication and reflective thinking are central to helping families adapt, connect, and move forward after discharge from the NICU. We use the word “parent” throughout the article to refer to anyone who assumes a primary parenting role for an infant in the NICU. For some infants, this term may refer to a grandparent, another family member, or another close support. A personal vignette illustrates the lived experience of navigating trauma, resilience, and growth in the NICU. Clinical training implications are discussed emphasizing the need for trauma and attachment-informed, family-centered, and culturally responsive care.