Abstract
Background and aims: Parental involvement in NICUs has become increasingly common. In Family Focused Care (FFC) intervention programmes, parents are encouraged to reside in the NICU together with their newborns, taking a more active part in the daily care. The aim of this study was to assess the impact from FFC on parental confidence and breastfeeding.
Methods: Parental confidence and breastfeeding rate were assessed for 31 mothers in a NICU providing FFC. Thirty mothers from a NICU where “traditional care” (TC) was provided served as controls. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire one week prior to hospital discharge and by a telephone-interview three months after discharge.
Results: One week prior to hospital discharge, both groups reported similar satisfaction regarding information on medical issues and they were similarly satisfied with the support received from the staff. Mothers in the FFC group felt better informed in nursing issues and felt more confidence both in interpretation of the neonate regarding feeding issues and in taking care of the neonate during daytime, and they also reported a higher level of self-esteem (p< 0.05). At three months, there was a trend for more neonates in the FFC group being breastfed (70% (FFC-group) vs 46% (TC-group); p=0.07), and the mothers in the FFC group had a higher self-reported skill level regarding interpretation of the infant's cues and knowledge regarding breastfeeding (p< 0.05).
Conclusions: Family Focused Care (FFC) programmes in a NICU promoted parental confidence during the stay in the NICU and three months after discharge.
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Wataker, H., Nestaas, E., Meberg, A. et al. 250 Health Promoting Effects of a Family Focused Care Programme in a Norwegian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 130 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00250
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00250