title: Parental visiting, communication, and participation in ethical decisions: a comparison of neonatal unit policies in Europe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare neonatal intensive care unit policies towards parents' visiting, information, and participation in ethical decisions across eight European countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty three units, selected by random or exhaustive sampling, were recruited, with an overall response rate of 87%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proportions of units allowing unrestricted parental visiting ranged from 11% in Spain to 100% in Great Britain, Luxembourg and Sweden, and those explicitly involving parents in decisions from 19% in Italy to 89% in Great Britain. Policies concerning information also varied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These variations cannot be explained by differences in unit characteristics, such as level, size, and availability of resources. As the importance of parental participation in the care of their babies is increasingly being recognised, these findings have implications for neonatal intensive care organisation and policy.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology and Unit of Neonatal Intensive Care, Burlo Garofolo Children's Hospital, Trieste, Italy. cuttini@burlo.trieste.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuttini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rebagliato
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bortoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Leeuw
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lenoir
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schroell
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: de Vonderweid
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaminski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lenard
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orzalesi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saracci
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003256:Community Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005060:Europe; D005190:Family; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010290:Parents; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014789:Visitors to Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*