NIDCAP®
St. Luke’s Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessement Program

About NIDCAP®

The Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP®) uses careful observation of each infant’s response to his or her environment. By learning to interpret these subtle responses, parents and caregivers can identify cues that indicate stress, or stability and strength. Stress cues are the infant’s way of telling parents or caregivers that a break from the current environment is needed. Stability or strength cues are the infant’s way of communicating that he or she is relaxed and that now might be a good time for interaction.

Through the use of NIDCAP® principles, St. Luke’s NICU provides an environment that nurtures and supports the strengths and competencies of each infant and family. Proper application of NIDCAP® principles has been shown to decrease length of stay as well as complication rates and required interventions, and to improve long-term developmental abilities.

In addition to using NIDCAP® principles, St. Luke's offers NIDCAP® training and education to health care professionals from Idaho and around the world.

NIDCAP® was developed in 1984 by Heidelise Als, PhD, a psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and her colleagues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Approximately 200 newborn intensive care units in the United States are currently using NIDCAP® principles in their care of infants and families. As this sensitive approach toward caregiving becomes the accepted standard of care, many more medical centers will adopt NIDCAP® care elements.

Did you know?

St. Luke’s NIDCAP® Center in Boise, Idaho, is one of only 11 training centers worldwide.