We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Parent-to-parent support initiated in the neonatal intensive care unit.
- Authors
Roman LA; Lindsay JK; Boger RP; DeWys M; Beaumont EJ; Jones AS; Haas B
- Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the Perinatal Positive Parenting (PPP) program model with parents of preterm infants. The program was developed to provide support to first-time parents by trained, experienced, volunteer parents. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental, longitudinal design was used to explore differences between a comparison group of NICU mothers and those who participated in the parent-to-parent program. SETTING: This study was conducted in a Midwestern regional perinatal center. POPULATION: A convenience sample of 70 mothers, whose preterm infants were consecutively admitted to the NICU and met study criteria, were invited to participate in the study. Families had to be experiencing NICU care for the first time, their infants had to be born at 37 weeks, with a birthweight less than 2,500 g. Although 70 mothers indicated their willingness to participate in the study, 31 comparison group mothers and 27 treatment mothers actually participated in data collection at infant discharge (N = 58). Treatment mothers had a mean age of 26.8, comparison mothers a mean age of 25.7. INTERVENTIONS: Study families were asked to bring their infants to a developmental assessment follow-up clinic at 4 and 12 months post-NICU discharge. Maternal self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) was selected to measure affective states. Family functioning was measured using the Feetham Family Functioning Scale. The Barnard Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS) was used to assess maternal-infant interaction at 12 months. Maternal data were collected during the week of infant discharge from the mother in the NICU and by mailed, self-report questionnaires at 1 and 4 months post infant discharge. Maternal-infant observations and parent self-report measures were collected at 12 months during a home visit by a nurse and social worker. Volunteer parents in the Perinatal Positive Parenting program were required to complete a 24-hour training course and have experienced NICU hospitalization of their infant at least 1 year before their training. The parent-to-parent support relationships were initiated as soon after NICU admission as possible and included hospital, home, and phone contacts. Reported time spent in contact with a parent by the volunteer parent ranged from 12 to 100 hours. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): There were no group, time, or interaction differences between treatment and comparison mothers on family functioning, nor any differences for the cross-sectional analyses at each time. The NCATS total score was significantly higher for the treatment than for the comparison group. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: It appears that program effects were linked primarily to charcteristics of the mother and mother-infant interaction. As hypothesized, mothers who participated in the treatment program had less anxiety during the first 4 months postdischarge than comparison mothers. Because the greatest intensity of the veteran parent support occurred in the first few months after discharge, it seems plausible that the intervention influenced the amount of anxiety the mothers of preterm infants experienced. Because of the small sample size, nonrandomization of the subjects, and phase lag design, it is not possible to conclusively link parenting differences between the groups with veteran parent support. The results of this preliminary study suggest that there is a legitimate role for veteran NICU parents as providers of social support for parents of preterm infants. [CINAHL abstract]
- Publication
Research in Nursing & Health, 1995, Vol 18, Issue 5, p385
- ISSN
0160-6891
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1002/nur.4770180504