Findings from the National Institute of Nursing Research Related to Neonatal Care

THE BIRTH OF A CHILD IS A TIME OF GREAT HOPE AND joy in most families. However, pregnancy and childbirth can present major challenges and risks. A pregnancy complicated by risk factors endangers the health and well-being of both the mother and the fetus. A preterm birth or otherwise abnormal delivery places great stresses on family structures to cope, on nurses to provide optimal care, and on the fragile infant to grow and develop.