10: Unrestricted access to food and allocated spaces to eat/drink

while their infant is admitted to the NICU.

Restricting food in the NICU often forces parents to leave their infant’s bedside multiple times per day to access meals

Chapter 10 Key Points

Awareness

  • Basic needs sustain parental presence
  • Lack of access signals exclusion
  • Supportive environments encourage engagement

Assessment

  • Designated spaces for eating and resting available?
  • Policies consider cultural food preferences?
  • Resources clearly communicated and equitable?

Action

  • Provide family eating areas near the bedside
  • Review infection control policies for fairness
  • Include food access in family-centred planning

Download This Chapter

Download the Full Toolkit Here

Authors

Morgan Kowalski, BA

Robert White, MD

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

© 2026 Family-Centered Care Taskforce. Family-Centered Care Taskforce. All rights reserved. This toolkit may be reproduced and distributed freely for educational and non-commercial purposes with attribution. Any use of this content must acknowledge the Family-Centered Care Taskforce as the source. No portion of this toolkit may be altered or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. Custom illustrations created for this project are for FCC Taskforce toolkit use only and may not be altered or reused separately.

DISCLAIMER
Readers are advised to adapt the guidelines and resources based on their local facility’s level of care and patient populations served and are also advised not to rely solely on the guidelines presented here.