The effect of instructing mothers in attachment behaviors on short‑term health outcomes of premature infants in NICU
نویسندگان
1 Associate Professor of NeonatalPerinatal Medicine, NonCommunicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
2 Nursing Care Research Center, Health Research Institute, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
3 Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
4 Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
5 Master of Newborn Intensive Care Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
doi
چکیده
BACKGROUND: The birth of a pre‑mature infant and subsequent hospitalization and separationfrom the family can impair maternal and neonatal attachment and quality of maternal care. Thisstudy aimed to assess the effect of instructing mothers in attachment behaviors on short‑term healthoutcomes of pre‑mature infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this quasi experimental study, 80 mothers of pre‑mature infants whowere admitted to NICUs at two referral health centers in northern Iran were studied in two groups in2018. Attachment behaviors were taught to mothers in the test group during four consecutive sessions.Mother–infant attachment behaviors were evaluated at both the beginning and the end of this studyusing a checklist derived from Avant’s Maternal Attachment Assessment Strategy. Moreover, infants’short‑term health consequences were investigated in two groups. SPSS 18 statistical software wasused for data analysis.RESULTS: On average, it took respectively 34.90 ± 12/65 and 31/15 ± 14/35 days for the infants inthe control and the intervention group to reach full oral feeding and 38/5 (38/4–42/11) and 37 (31/85–42/14) days to gain the minimum weight required for discharge. Moreover, the mean length of stayfor the infants in the control and the intervention group was 41/80 ± 13/86 and 39/02 ± 16/01 days,respectively (P > 0/05).CONCLUSION: Instructing mothers in attachment behaviors clinically improved short‑termhealth‑related outcomes. Hence, this intervention is recommended to be incorporated in the careprogram for mothers with pre‑mature infants.
