PremPath parent summary findings

The PremPath study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Policy Research Programme (NIHR204242) between April 2023 and June 2025. The perinatal optimisation pathway brings together a number of evidence-based interventions to reduce the risk of neonatal death and associated preterm morbidities. This project was commissioned to examine how the pathway is working in practice. We aimed to explore how multiple clinical teams work together to make decisions about the optimisation and stabilisation of preterm infants and to explore the experiences of staff delivering the pathway, and parents and families receiving care. This resource comprises a summary of the findings from interviews with 41 parents. We heard from 2 fathers and 39 mothers of preterm babies born at a variety of gestations. The majority of parents interviewed were White British (66%). Parents lived across England.