Topics of spirituality in neonatology – Results from a systematic literature review

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The prognosis of preterms and ill newborns has improved substantially during the last decades. Besides conventional methods, additional interventions play an important role in this development. Managing parents' needs under the circumstances of intensive care can be a crucial aspect of dealing with this difficult situation. But data on this group has not been systematically evaluated so far. Method We performed a systematic literature review following the PRISMA criteria. Keywords were neonates, neonatology, newborn, preterm, parents, and spirituality. All study types in English and German were included. Results After evaluating the abstracts of the initial search results, we considered 33 studies eligible for analysis. Study types are surveys, interviews (qualitative studies), case reports, and reviews. Topics were parents, ethnical differences, medical staff, and palliative care. Discussion There is a variety of studies on spirituality in neonatology with a broad spectrum of study types. A meta-analysis is difficult, especially because of the heterogeneity of the study designs, patient numbers and questionnaires used. Although the studies are promising, short-term and long-term outcomes have not been evaluated yet. Interesting endpoints such as the influence on mortality, morbidity and duration of hospital stay cannot be stated. Thus it is too early to derive practical recommendations for the medical staff from these studies. Conclusion Although there is a body of data on spirituality in neonatology that addresses several important aspects, even more studies on the impact of parents' needs and the consequences for the medical staff are required.