Balancing work and family after a NICU stay
Juggling Roles: A Study of Diverse Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Parents and Their Work-Family Transition
This project follows parents of very preterm infants to understand how they manage returning to work and caring for their baby, with special attention to Black and low-income families.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Women and Infants Hospital-Rhode Island NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194267 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to share information about your work schedule, caregiving activities, supports, and mental health while your baby is in the NICU. The team will collect data using surveys, interviews, and medical record information and will follow families over time to track infant development and parent well-being. Researchers will compare experiences across racial and socioeconomic groups to identify practical barriers and supports that affect parent involvement. The goal is to point to changes in hospital practices or policies that make it easier for parents to be involved in their baby’s care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are parents of very preterm infants (born before 32 weeks gestation) whose baby is receiving care in the NICU, particularly Black or low-income parents facing work-family conflicts.
Not a fit: Parents of full-term infants or families without work-related conflicts around the NICU period are unlikely to be directly affected by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to NICU policies and supports that help parents—especially Black and low-income families—spend more time with their preterm infant and improve developmental and mental health outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies show parent involvement benefits infant development, but focusing on work-family transitions and racial/economic disparities in diverse NICU parents is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Women and Infants Hospital-Rhode Island — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Craft, Alexandrea L. — Women and Infants Hospital-Rhode Island
- Study coordinator: Craft, Alexandrea L.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.