The socially complex family. New dilemmas for the neonatal social worker.

The multifaceted problems of many families now cared for in neonatal units place new challenges on the neonatal social worker. The medical complexities of the NICU patient are matched by the social complexities of many of the families. The worker attempts to coordinate multiple systems to meet the need of the infant and family throughout the hospitalization of the infant. The advances in medical technology, however, have not been matched in the social and support systems. The result is the creation of new dilemmas for the worker, the medical staff, and society.