Separation of mothers from their preterm babies during their neonatal intensive care hospitalization disrupts the continuity of care and decreases the quality of care due to increased anxiety and stress, and causes neurodevelopmental and behavioral problems in the long-term. Family-centered care is an approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of healthcare that is based upon a partnership between healthcare professionals and families of patients. After the observation that the classical approach failed to support the neurodevelopment of infants and mother-infant interaction, this approach affected the design of units, and new arrangements were planned to meet the needs of infant, family and professionals. In this review the importance of family-centered care in neonatal intensive care unit and effects of this approach on unit designs are discussed.

Keywords: Family, family-centered care, premature, neonatal intensive care unit