Background: 

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in neonatal care, sometimes resulting in a separation between parents and their newborn. Knowledge about parents' experiences of this separation is limited.

Purpose: 

To explore parents' experiences of separation from their newborn due to COVID-19.

Methods: 

Interviews with parents (n = 11) separated from their newborn.

Results: 

The parents' experiences of being separated from their newborn were expressed under 3 themes: “To create a sense of safety in an insecure situation”; “Unexpected start to parenthood”; and “To be reunited.” Parents felt abandoned and alone, even if they had support from significant others. Although they considered the separation as undesired, wanting to be with their newborn infant, it was secondary to not wanting to infect the infant with COVID-19. Furthermore, lacking information about a potentially lethal virus adds to the uncertainty that comes with having a newborn. The separation affected the whole family, some for a long time afterward.

Implications for Practice and Research: 

If a new situation with potentially life-threatening effects, like the COVID-19 pandemic, occurs again, considering the experiences of these parents is paramount. Precautions should be taken to minimize the potential harm. If a separation between newborns and parents is inevitable, parents need preparation and transparent information prior to the separation and before the reunion. Well-thought-out policies must be in place to minimize the impact of a separation on both parties. Parents should be able to have a deputy parent present during an undesired but necessary separation from their newborn.

中文翻译：

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在不安全的情况下感到被遗弃：父母因母亲 COVID-19 呈阳性而与新生儿分离的经历

背景： 

COVID -19大流行导致新生儿护理发生变化，有时甚至导致父母与新生儿分离。对父母这种分离经历的了解是有限的。

目的： 

探讨父母因COVID-19与新生儿分离的经历。

方法： 

采访与新生儿分离的父母（n = 11）。

结果： 

父母与新生儿分离的经历分为三个主题：“在不安全的情况下创造安全感”；“意想不到的为人父母的开始”；和“重聚”。父母感到被抛弃和孤独，即使他们得到了重要他人的支持。尽管他们认为分离是不受欢迎的，因为他们想和刚出生的婴儿在一起，但这是次要的，因为不想让婴儿感染COVID-19。此外，缺乏有关潜在致命病毒的信息增加了新生儿的不确定性。这次分离影响了整个家庭，有些人的影响还持续了很长一段时间。

对实践和研究的影响： 

如果再次出现可能危及生命的新情况，例如COVID-19大流行，考虑这些父母的经历至关重要。应采取预防措施，尽量减少潜在危害。如果新生儿和父母之间的分离是不可避免的，那么父母需要在分离之前和团聚之前做好准备并提供透明的信息。必须制定深思熟虑的政策，以尽量减少分居对双方的影响。在与新生儿意外但必要的分离期间，父母应该能够有一名代理父母在场。