Infant Perioperative Patients

Abstract

NOVEMBER 2007, VOL 86, NO 5 • AORN JOURNAL • 843 ediatric patients are not just small adults; each child is a unique individual. Similarities in children do exist, however, based on their developmental levels. Several developmental theories, including those of Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, and Erik Erikson, can help provide an excellent foundation on which to develop an approach to treating children at each psychosocial and cognitive level of development. By adjusting the approach to patient care accordingly, health care providers can provide holistic, family-centered care. From a developmental perspective, infancy ranges from birth until the child’s first birthday. Family-centered care is especially important during this period, and this type of care can make the perioperative process less stressful for everyone involved. The information presented in this column is designed to provide a developmental theory foundation to augment the psychosocial competency outlined in Age-Specific Care: Competency Assessment Module. Infants also have very specific physiological needs based on their size and the maturity of their body systems. These needs also are addressed in the module.