Adolescent parenting in the neonatal intensive care unit.

This review presents data from studies that report on adolescent parents as part of larger neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parent populations, as well as studies where adolescent parents are given central consideration. A systematic search for English publications from 1990 onward relevant to adolescent parenting in the NICU was conducted. Most studies reporting on adolescent parents focus on parental stress or parenting practices in the NICU. A few studies examine parent-staff communication, parental needs, and parent intervention programs. One study presents a qualitative examination of teenage mothers' experiences in the NICU. Areas for further research include experiences of younger adolescent parents, adolescent fathers, and same-sex partners; issues unique to adolescent parents; and support programs for adolescent parents in the NICU.