Early relationship environments: physiology of skin-to-skin contact for parents and their preterm infants

Maternal Voice Exposure and Its Effect on Premature Infants' Feeding Milestones: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Premature infants experience alterations in maternal stimulation (including auditory sensory alteration such as talking or singing to the infant in the neonatal intensive care unit) due to admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Because of their physiological and neurobehavioral immaturity, infants are at an increased risk of delays in reaching feeding milestones (a key developmental milestone), which often need to be achieved before discharge.

PURPOSE

This systematic review evaluated the literature regarding the effect of maternal speech on achievement of feeding milestones in premature infants.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search of CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from 2010 to 2021.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies were selected if they examined the effect of maternal voice interventions on premature infants' feeding milestones.

DATA EXTRACTION

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used.

RESULTS

Six studies were identified. This systematic review of the literature on the effects of maternal voice on feeding milestones in premature infants found equivocal results.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Given the inconsistent results, this systematic review does not support a change in clinical practice. However, encouragement of maternal visits is highly recommended as the additional benefits of the mother's presence may extend beyond exposure to maternal voice.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

More research is needed including use of more homogenous samples, application of recommended decibel levels, and utilization of an adequately powered randomized controlled trial to further examine the effects of maternal voice on feeding milestones.

Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) through infant feeding and early care practices: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Perinatal practices such as breast-feeding, kangaroo mother care, rooming-in, and delayed cord clamping have varied by institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this systematic review was to examine the success of different practices in preventing viral transmission between SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers and their infants.

METHODS

Electronic searches were performed in the Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Studies involving pregnant or breastfeeding patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR were included. Infants tested within 48 hours of birth who had two tests before hospital discharge were included. Infants older than one week with a single test were also included.

RESULTS

Twenty eight studies were included. In the aggregated data, among 190 breastfeeding infants, 22 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (11.5%), while 4 of 152 (2.63%) among bottle-fed (Fisher's exact test p = 0.0006). The positivity rates for roomed in infants (20/103, 19.4%) were significantly higher than those isolated (5/300, 1.67%) (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in positivity rate among infants who received kangaroo care (25%vs 9%, p = 0.2170), or delayed cord clamping (3.62%vs 0.9%, p = 0.1116).

CONCLUSIONS

Lack of robust studies involving large patient population does not allow meaningful conclusions from this systematic review. Aggregated data showed increased positivity rates of SARS-CoV-2 among infants who were breast fed and roomed-in. There were no differences in SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates in infants received skin to skin care or delayed cord clamping.

French translation and preliminary psychometric validation of a skin-to-skin contact instrument for nurses (SSC-F)

PURPOSE

To translate and conduct the preliminary psychometric validation of a skin-to-skin contact instrument in French (SSC-F) with a sample of nurses from Quebec and France working in neonatal intensive care units.

METHODS

The 20 items of the SSC instrument containing four subscales (knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, training and education and implementation), developed by Vittner et al. (2017), was translated into French. The methodological steps used for psychometric validation included assessment of the item and subscale normality distributions, assessment of reliability using internal consistency, and assessment of validity using inter-item and inter-scale correlations and principal component analysis.

RESULTS

The preliminary psychometric validation showed that all four subscales of the French version had adequate internal consistency (0.61-0.77), supporting the calculation of a total score for each subscale based on the English version of the instrument. The structural validity was supported by principal component analysis findings.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Based on the findings of the preliminary psychometric validation of our study, the SSC-F instrument could be used in research with French-speaking neonatal nurses in Western countries, but gathering more evidence about its reliability and validity is warranted for clinical practice.

The Effect of Supportive Nursing Interventions on Reducing Stress Levels of Mothers of Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of supportive interventions on the stress levels of mothers with infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This study was a prospective, pre-and post-test randomized controlled trial. The research was completed with 85 mothers in two groups of 45 subjects and 40 controls selected at random. Data collection used the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU), NICU Parent Belief Scale (NICU:PBS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI TX-2) and saliva cortisol analysis. There were statistically significant differences in favor of the experiment group for the PSS:NICU images and sounds subscale and PBS total points after supportive interventions (p < .05). Supportive nursing interventions were effective in reducing stress related to the intensive care environment, anxiety levels and saliva cortisol levels and increasing parental belief among mothers.

ABM clinical protocol #2: Guidelines for hospital discharge of the breastfeeding term newborn and mother: "The going home protocol," revised 2014

A central goal of The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is the development of clinical protocols for managing common medical problems that may impact breastfeeding success. These protocols serve only as guidelines for the care of breastfeeding mothers and infants and do not delineate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as standards of medical care. Variations in treatment may be appropriate according to the needs of an individual patient.

Implementing change: steps to initiate a human donor milk program in a US Level III NICU

Initiating a pasteurized human donor milk (PDM) program in a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be a difficult process that requires commitment by a multidisciplinary team, education, sufficient funding, and "buy-in" from NICU staff, families, and hospital administration. We began planning for our program in February 2011 and started using PDM in June 2011. This paper describes the steps taken and the obstacles overcome to initiate a PDM program for our hospital's tiniest, sickest, and most vulnerable patients.

Developmental care for high-risk newborns: emerging science, clinical application, and continuity from newborn intensive care unit to community

Neonatology has optimized medical outcomes for high-risk newborns yet neurodevelopmental outcomes continue to be a concern. Basic science, clinical research, and environmental design perspectives have shown the impact of the caregiving environment on the developing brain and the role of professional caregivers in providing supportive intervention to both infants and their families. This recognition has prompted a focus on early developmentally supportive care (DSC) for high-risk newborns both in the hospital and in community follow up. DSC has emerged as a recognized standard of care in most neonatal intensive care units. Still, many questions remain and much integrative research is needed.

Effects of Early Contact on Maternal Infant Attachment

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of early contact between mothers and infants on attachment behaviors.

METHODS

The participants were purposely allocated to an experimental group (n=20) and a control group (n=20). For the experimental group, early contact between mothers and newborns took place for 10 minutes. Mother-infant attachment was assessed in the nursery. Data analysis was done using frequency, percentage, chi2 test, mean, standard deviation, and t-test with the SPSS/WIN program.

RESULTS

The experimental group practicing early mother-infant contact, showed a higher degree of identifying behaviors (p<.05), modalities of interaction (p<.05), and caretaking behaviors (p<.05) than the control group.

CONCLUSION

The early mother-infant contact at 2 hours post-delivery had positive effects on mother-infant attachment. Therefore an early contact can be recommended for all mothers-to-be as a way of improving mother-infant relationships.

Single-Family Room Design in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Challenges and Opportunities

The trend toward single-family room (SFR) design in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has been driven by a growing understanding of the developmental needs of preterm infants, a desire to provide environments that support and encourage family participation, and infection control considerations. SFR design offers many potential benefits, but also requires substantial change in the NICU culture, as well as additional space and technology when compared to an open ward. The advantages and drawbacks of the SFR design are reviewed, and strategies are offered to assist those who are considering construction or renovation of an NICU.

Effect of two doses of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the diet of preterm infants on infant fatty acid status: results from the DINO trial

Formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves retinal function of preterm infants but the optimal dose is unknown. In a randomized controlled trial we examined the effect of increasing the DHA concentration of human milk and formula on circulating fatty acids of preterm infants. Infants born <33 weeks gestation were fed high-DHA milk (1% total fat as DHA) or standard-DHA milk (0.2-0.3% DHA) until reaching their estimated due date (EDD). Milk arachidonic acid (AA) concentration was approximately 0.5% for both groups. At EDD, erythrocyte membrane phospholipid DHA was elevated in the high-DHA group compared with standard-DHA (mean+/-SD, high-DHA 6.8+/-1.2, standard-DHA 5.2+/-0.7, p<0.0005) but AA was lower (high-DHA 14.9+/-1.3, standard-DHA 16.0+/-1.2, p<0.0005). Feeding preterm infants human milk and formula with 1% DHA raises but does not saturate erythrocyte phospholipids with DHA. Milk exceeding 1% DHA may be required to increase DHA status to levels seen in term infants.

Kangaroo Care (skin contact) reduces crying response to pain in preterm neonates: pilot results

Crying commonly occurs in response to heel stick and adversely affects the infant's physiologic stability. Minimal crying in response to pain is desired. "Kangaroo Care," skin contact between mother and infant, reduces pain and may reduce crying in response to pain. The purpose of this pilot study was to test Kangaroo Care's effect on the preterm infant's audible and inaudible crying response to heel stick. Inaudible crying has not been previously studied. A prospective randomized cross-over study with 10 preterm infants 2-9 days old (30-32 weeks' postmenstrual age) was conducted. Infants were randomly assigned to two sequences (sequence A: day 1 heel stick in Kangaroo Care [after 30 min of prone skin contact upright between maternal breasts] and day 2 heel stick in incubator [inclined, nested and prone]; or sequence B: opposite of sequence A) was conducted. Videotapes of baseline, heel warming, heel stick, and recovery phases were scored for audible and inaudible crying times. Audible and inaudible crying times for each subject in each phase were summed and analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. Subject characteristics did not differ between those in the two sequences. Crying time differed between the study phases on both days (p <or= .001). When in Kangaroo Care compared with the incubator, crying time was less during the heel stick (p = .001) and recovery (p = .01) phases, regardless of sequence. Because Kangaroo Care reduced crying in response to heel stick in medically stable preterm infants, a definitive study is merited before making recommendations.

[Skin to skin contact in neonatal care: knowledge and expectations of health professionals in 2 neonatal intensive care units]

Skin to skin contact is a method derived from kangaroo care whose implementation in industrialized countries has rarely been assessed.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the barriers, knowledge and expectations of health professionals regarding this care in 2 level III neonatal care units in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Investigation was conducted by means of 2 questionnaires, one intended to physicians, the other to the nursing staff sharing some common questions. The 2 neonatal units differed by the level of implementation of skin to skin contact. Results were compared according to occupation and site of work.

RESULTS

80% of the physicians and 71.4% of the paramedical staff answered to the questionnaires. The difficulties were linked to technical or architectural constraints. Responses were not very different between the 2 teams. The majority (90%) considered this practice as a fully-fledged care. The positive effects on attachment (96% of the answers) were well-known but those on sleep (2,9%), breast-feeding (5%) and pain (0%) were only rarely mentioned. Barriers to implementation were centred on infant's safety. The majority of the team wished to benefit from an educational intervention.

DISCUSSION

Although the perception of skin to skin contact was positive in these 2 teams, increased knowledge of the evidence supporting its practice could enable babies and parents to benefit from all its positive effects. The need for educational program was clearly mentioned to improve parents' information.

CONCLUSION

This work emphasises the complexity of introducing new procedures in neonatal care particularly in the field of developmental care.

Atenção humanizada ao recém-nascido de baixo peso - Método Canguru: a proposta brasileira

Este estudo contextualiza a experiência brasileira na Atenção Humanizada ao Recém-Nascido de Baixo Peso-Método Canguru, resgatando aspectos ligados à origem do Método Canguru na Colômbia e sua utilização em diferentes países. Para sistematizar a experiência partiu-se da leitura de fontes diversas que incluíram artigos, dissertações, teses e textos oficiais produzidos pelo Ministério da Saúde. A análise do processo de implantação da Atenção Humanizada ao Recém-Nascido de Baixo Peso - Método Canguru pelo Ministério da Saúde nos permitiu mapear uma experiência distinta da encontrada em países que adotaram ou discutem o Método Canguru como estratégia de substituição de tecnologia. Por outro lado, a experiência brasileira também é mais ampla do que aquela encontrada nos países desenvolvidos e se configura como estratégia de qualificação do cuidado neonatal.