Abstract
The progress that has been made in neonatology is associated with an increasing number of painful procedures constantly being performed on the neonate. Additionally, prolonged hospitalization of premature neonates in NICUs isolates the family from their child. Parents may state that they do not have any parental feelings and cannot communicate with their newborns. The FCC (Family-Centered Care) initiative responded to emerging reports about the adverse consequences ensuing from the lack of parental access to hospitalized children. The FCC should be understood as care based on partner relations between families and health professionals, which is supposed to lead to health and well-being for both the children and their parents. The FCC should become standard practice in all neonatal intensive care units.