16  •  2020  •  Developmental Observer

The Barcelona NIDCAP Training 
Center was opened in December 2011 
at the same time as the Hospital 12 de 
Octubre NIDCAP Training Center in 
Madrid. The entire process of making 
the center ready was possible due to the 
collaboration between both hospitals 
and the tireless support of Graciela 
Basso, MD and Heidelise Als, PhD. 

Currently our center has two sites: 
the Hospital Vall d'Hebron in 

Barcelona and the Hospital Dr Josep 
Trueta in Girona. The three NIDCAP 
trainers are Fatima Camba, Estrella 
Gargallo and Josep Perapoch. Our goal is 
to offer NIDCAP training in hospitals of 
neighboring countries and, at the same 
time, contribute to the implementation of 
a NIDCAP-based model of newborn care 
in all hospitals within Spain.

Collaboration is likely the key 
word that best defines us as a center. 
Collaboration is one of the main values  
of our activity. Our challenges include the 
lack of time and financial resources, and 
perhaps this is a reason that has helped us 
to take part in some collaborative projects. 
Some of our projects are listed below, as 
they may serve as inspiration for other 
teams:

• With professionals and friends at the 
12 de Octubre Hospital in Madrid, we 
collaborated through the Hera Project 
in broadcasting and training projects 
for developmental care throughout 
the country. We also collaborated in 
different research studies.

• With other hospitals of the Catalan 
Institute of Health and support of 
administration, we established a 
working group for the application 

of NIDCAP-based newborn care in 
all hospitals (PADEICS-NIDCAP 
working group). The Catalan Institute 
of Health is a hospital system 
providing care for approximately 45% 
of the very low birth weight newborns 
in Catalonia. 

• With the groups of parents and 
professionals of working group 
hospitals, we held a workshop in 
2016 to define the nine lines of 

NIDCAP Training Centers Around the World 
The Barcelona NIDCAP Training Center

Barcelona NIDCAP Team

DOI: 10.14434/do.v13i2.31062



Developmental Observer  •  2020  •  17  

improvement in individualized 
newborn care focused on development 
and the family. This document is the 
basis of all the improvement actions 
that have been used to work together 
during the last four years.

• Through collaboration with 
professionals and families, the 
“Germans” project to facilitate the 
inclusion of sibilings was started. 
(https://youtu.be/amiUQHiS1Ls)

• With other hospitals and training 
centers of the Iberian Peninsula, we 
collaborated in eight editions of the 
"NIDCAP Iberian Meeting".

• Collaborating with administration 
and the university, we promoted 

development of a Guide for Parents 
of Premature Newborns, which is 
distributed in all hospitals.

As NIDCAP has no limits, our 
projects and dreams are being renewed. 
These are the challenges we would like to 
achieve in the near future:

• Work closely with the Hospital Sant 
Joan de Deu, the other large Barcelona 
hospital that is currently in the process 
of accrediting itself as a training center, 
to facilitate the application of NIDCAP 
in all the hospitals of the country.

• Incorporate a new professional  
NIDCAP Trainer to our team.

• Obtain administration support for 
training to achieve the availability of 

NIDCAP Professionals in all hospitals.

• Repeat a working day with families. 
This is currently scheduled for 
November 17, 2020, yet may be 
rescheduled due to the Coronavirus 
pandemic.

• Gain the ability to apply the FINE2 
training program.

• Finish a project started two years 
ago to offer introductory training 
in developmental care in an online 
format.

 

Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP)

The Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP), originated in 1984 by Heidel-

ise Als, PhD, is the only comprehensive, family centered, evidence-based approach to newborn developmental care. 

NIDCAP focuses on adapting the newborn intensive care nursery to the unique neurodevelopmental strengths and 

goals of each newborn cared for in this medical setting. These adaptations encompass the physical environment and its 

components, as well as, the care and treatment provided for the infant and his or her family, their life-long nurturers and 

supporters.

Assessment of Preterm Infants’ Behavior (APIB) 

The Assessment of Preterm Infants’ Behavior (APIB) (Als et al., 1982) is a comprehensive and systematic research 

based neurobehavioral approach for the assessment of preterm and fullterm newborns. The APIB provides an invalu-

able diagnostic resource for the advanced level clinician in support of developmental care provision in a nursery.

NIDCAP Nursery Program

The NIDCAP Nursery Program provides a comprehensive resource for the self- evaluation by a nursery system of its 

strengths and goals for integration of NIDCAP principles into all aspects of their functioning. Highly attuned implementa-

tion of NIDCAP care for infants and their families, as well as for the staff, in a developmentally supportive environment 

is a goal as well as a process. External review and validation by the NFI may be sought when a nursery feels it has 

achieved this distinction. Nurseries that have achieved NIDCAP Nursery certification serve as a model and an inspiration 

to others. For information on the nursery self-assessment resources as well as the certification process and its eligibility 

requirements, please see: www.nidcap.org; and/or contact Rodd E. Hedlund, MEd, NIDCAP Nursery Program Director 

at: nidcapnurserydirector@nidcap.org or 785-841-5440.

The Gold Standard for Excellence in Newborn  
Individualized Developmental Care
What All Newborn Infants and Their Families Deserve

www.nidcap.org
nidcapnurserydirector@nidcap.org