The studies reviewed expose the pivotal
role of the nurse in affecting the process of
attachment in NICU. The formation of an
attachment bond may not be automatic, as
previously theorised, but should instead be treated as an individualised process;
often dependent on the health status of the
infant and the mother, environmental
circumstances, and on the quality of
nursing care. Likewise, Wigert et al8 noted
that the maternal sense of attachment was
affected by feelings of participation or
exclusion, as dictated by nursing staff.
These findings are supported by Holditch-
Davis and Miles1