Occupational therapy and neonatal care
One in seven babies born in the UK are admitted to a neonatal unit each year because they were born early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or were unwell when born at full term.
The number of occupational therapists working in neonatal services is small but growing – recognising our critical role in promoting the health, development and occupational performance of vulnerable infants and their parents/carers.
What we do in neonatal care
For babies
OTs provide developmentally appropriate care, promoting babies’ brain development and helping them sleep, feed, play, interact and regulate their body systems.
For parents/carers
We help parents and carers learn about and respond to their baby’s behavioural cues and signs of stress.
We help them settle and hold their baby, bathe them and help them cope with medical procedures.
We also support parents and carers with ‘hidden’ activities, such as decision making and interpreting their baby’s behaviour. Bonding with and caring for their baby is crucial for infant development and parental wellbeing.
For families
Another role is to help families prepare for their baby’s discharge from the neonatal unit and to provide anticipatory guidance to promote babies’ sensory, motor, attention, regulation and play development once they are home.