Smart parent-child bonding program for parents of premature infants during hospitalization and after discharge
Official title: Effects of a Smart Parent-child Bonding Intervention on the Physical, Psychological, and Social Health of Parents of Preterm Infants During Hospitalization and Home Return: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Run by National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan · NCT06987227 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This will try a smart parent-child bonding program to help parents of premature infants improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and strengthen family support while the baby is in the NICU and during the first month at home.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 20 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 360 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Teipei, Taiwan) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 25, 2025 |
| Main results expected | March 31, 2028 |
| Study ends | March 31, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | May 7, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06987227 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are parents aged 20 or older of premature infants born before 37 weeks who are currently admitted to the pediatric or neonatal intensive care unit, can communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese, can use mobile/internet devices, and consent to participate.
✕Probably not a fit
Parents of babies with lethal congenital abnormalities or in critical non-survivable condition, parents who cannot use mobile devices, or parents with a history of serious mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance abuse are excluded and unlikely to benefit from this program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a three-year randomized controlled trial using a longitudinal repeated-measures design to test an "intelligent" parent-child bonding intervention versus usual care. The study will recruit 360 parents of premature infants from a northern medical center and randomly assign participants to the intervention or control group. The intervention starts during the infant's hospital stay and continues until one month after discharge, and data are collected by questionnaires and biometric measures. Key outcomes include sleep, fatigue, stress, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, and parent-child connection.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve parents' sleep and mental health, strengthen parent-infant bonding, and enhance social and family functioning during a vulnerable period.
How similar studies have gone: Related interventions such as kangaroo care and digital parent-support programs have shown benefits for parental mental health and bonding, but this specific intelligent parent-child bonding program is novel and its effectiveness remains untested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Parents of premature infants born less than 37 weeks of age; 2. Parents of premature infants aged 20 or above and able to communicate in Mandarin and Taiwanese; 3. Parents of premature infants agree to participate in this study and sign the research consent form; 4. The child is currently in the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Center Exclusion Criteria: 1. The premature baby has congenital abnormalities or is in critical condition and cannot survive; 2. The parents cannot use mobile phones or other Internet devices; 3. The parents have a history of mental illness, intellectual disability or substance abuse.
Where it's running
-
Hsiang-Yun Lan
Teipei, Taiwan, Taiwan Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Lan Hsiang-Yun, A.P.
- Email: shinnylan@gmail.com
- Phone: +886287923100 Ext. 18781
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.