Home›Pediatrics› Relational Savoring increases closeness and satisfaction in 240 post-NICU parents
Relational Savoring increases closeness and satisfaction in 240 post-NICU parentsParents of NICU kids found closer to their children after a simple relationship exercise
Family processPublished June 1, 2026Study authors: Lord Kaitlin M, Boyce HaLi, Fortier Michelle A, Szepsenwol Ohad, Zamir Osnat, Tan Patricia, Hajal Na…PubMed ↗DOI ↗Editorial oversight: Dr. Sofia Müller, MD · Lifespan & Whole-Person Care
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Key Takeaway
Consider Relational Savoring to support parent-child relationships and well-being in post-NICU families.
This randomized controlled trial enrolled 240 post-NICU parents in the United States. Participants were assigned to either a Relational Savoring intervention or a neutral control task. The study setting was the United States. Follow-up duration was not reported.
The primary outcomes measured feelings of closeness to their child, parenting satisfaction, and parental emotional well-being. The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater increases in these metrics relative to the control group. Specific effect sizes, absolute numbers, and p-values were not reported for these outcomes.
A secondary outcome assessed reduction in negative affect. This reduction was more pronounced for parents with a history of miscarriage, stillbirth, child loss, and/or fertility difficulties. No absolute numbers or p-values were provided for this finding.
Safety and tolerability data were not reported. Adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, and general tolerability were not reported. The study did not report funding or conflicts of interest. Relational Savoring may represent a scalable intervention to support parent-child relationships and parental well-being in the post-NICU period, particularly for parents with prior perinatal loss and stress.
Parents who spend time in neonatal intensive care units often face a tough road back home. They may feel distant from their child or struggle with their own emotional health. A new trial tested a specific approach called Relational Savoring to help bridge that gap. This method asks parents to focus on positive moments they share with their baby. The goal is to build a stronger emotional bond during a fragile time.
The study involved 240 parents in the United States. Those who used Relational Savoring showed significantly greater increases in feelings of closeness to their child compared to those doing a neutral control task. They also reported higher parenting satisfaction and better parental emotional well-being. The group practicing this approach felt more connected and satisfied with their role as a parent.
The benefits were especially clear for parents who had experienced prior loss. These individuals saw a more pronounced reduction in negative feelings like sadness or stress. The researchers noted that this approach could be a scalable way to support families. It offers a practical tool for strengthening parent-child relationships and boosting well-being after a difficult NICU stay.
What this means for you:
A simple relationship exercise helped parents feel closer to their NICU children and improved their emotional well-being.
Despite abundant evidence that the admission of an infant to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a highly stressful and potentially traumatic experience for both infants and parents, few psychosocial interventions target the needs of parents of NICU infants. In particular, interventions supporting parents beyond the initial medical crisis are notably lacking. Relational savoring (RS) is a brief, positive psychology intervention that attunes one's focus to moments of positive connectedness within their relationships, including parent-child relationships. While the benefits of RS for parent-child dyads are well documented, its efficacy has not been evaluated in parent-child dyads facing significant relational stressors, such as those experienced in post-NICU contexts. Using a randomized controlled design, this study tests the effects of RS compared to a neutral control in 240 post-NICU parents in the United States. Parents reported on their closeness to their child, parental emotional well-being, and parental satisfaction before and after the intervention, as well as their history of perinatal loss and stress. Results of multilevel models suggest that, relative to a neutral control task, parents assigned to the RS intervention group exhibited significantly greater increases in feelings of closeness to their child, parenting satisfaction, and parental emotional well-being. Interestingly, the reduction in negative affect pre- to post-intervention was more pronounced for parents with a history of miscarriage, stillbirth, child loss, and/or fertility difficulties. These findings suggest that RS may represent a scalable intervention to support parent-child relationships and parental well-being in the post-NICU period, particularly for parents with prior perinatal loss and stress.
