Parent-to-parent support initiated in the neonatal intensive care unit

Res Nurs Health. 1995 Oct;18(5):385-94. doi: 10.1002/nur.4770180504.

Abstract

A preliminary quasi-experimental, longitudinal study was conducted to explore differences in maternal mood states, self-esteem, family functioning, maternal-infant interaction, and home environment between mothers of preterm infants who participated in a nurse-managed program of parent-to-parent support and those who served as a comparison group. Mothers who participated in the intervention scored significantly higher on the Barnard NCATS interaction measure and the HOME total scale and subscales of maternal responsiveness and organization (N = 58) at 12 months following discharge from a neonatal intensive care unit. Using repeated measures analysis for a subset of mothers (n = 32), there were significant differences between the two groups on the mood state anxiety-tension (POMS) during the first 4 months postdischarge, with the treatment group having less anxiety. There was also a group by time interaction effect on self-esteem during the first 4 months, with self-esteem of the treatment group mothers increasing and comparison mothers decreasing. Findings suggest that one-to-one veteran parent support, in a nurse-managed program, may influence maternal and maternal-infant interaction outcomes.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Family / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Premature
  • Intensive Care, Neonatal / psychology*
  • Intensive Care, Neonatal / statistics & numerical data
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Midwestern United States
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Mothers / psychology
  • Mothers / statistics & numerical data
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Social Support*
  • Socioeconomic Factors