ABSTRACT
One of the most challenging aspects of caring in the NICU is the management and support of parents and families. The emergence of neonatal care brought with it little recognition of the unique role families could play in the recovery of their infant, and the importance of providing opportunities for bonding and attachment. This has presented a myriad of challenges for neonatal staff, not least the juggling act of balancing parental hope for the future with the realism of the present (Crathern 2004).
