NIDCAP Training Center

What is NIDCAP?

NIDCAP stands for Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Plan. It is a comprehensive, individualized approach to infant care, focusing on the individual strengths and needs of each infant and family. The goal is to optimize the developmental path of the infant and minimize any stressful experiences that occur while in the NICU.

Family-Centered Care

NIDCAP also recognizes the importance of the family in the development and wellbeing of the infant and works to make the experience family-centered. The infant and family are the center of the NIDCAP approach and we know that this relationship is vital to the emotional development of the infant.

NIDCAP Benefits

Hospitals and Nursery ICU's that use NIDCAP have shown tremendous positive effects on the overall health and development of preterm and high-risk infants. These include:

Enhanced brain structure and function
Shorter hospital stay
Better weight gain
Improved behavioral outcomes in infancy and beyond