Paper
Thursday, 20 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Family Health Initiatives
A Pilot Study of an Intervention to Promote Mothers' Ability to Interact with their Very-Low-Birthweight Infants
Nancy Feeley, RN, PhD1, Phyllis Zelkowitz, EdD2, Céline Goulet, RN, PhD3, Lyne Charbonneau, BSc4, Carole Cormier, MEd5, Apostolos Papageorgiou, MD6, Natacha Bielinski, MSc7, and Chantal Ste-Marie, PhD6. (1) Centre for Nursing Research, SMBD - Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada, (2) Institute of Community & Family Psychiatry, Montreal, QC, Canada, (3) Faculté des sciences infirmières, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada, (4) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, SMBD – Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada, (5) Division of Maternal Child Health, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada, (6) Neonatology, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada, (7) Centre for Nursing Research, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
Learning Objective #1: describe the methods used to assess feasibility and acceptability of this intervention
Learning Objective #2: draw conclusions as to whether this intervention is feasible and acceptable
Children born very-low-birthweight (VLBW) are at greater risk than their normal birthweight peers for poorer cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Studies examining the effects of interventions with VLBW infants and their parents have shown modest positive effects. Researchers have suggested that interventions must begin earlier, before discharge from the NICU. A single group, pretest-posttest design pilot study was conducted to assess the feasibility/acceptability of a program to teach mothers of VLBW infants to interact sensitively with their infant while in the NICU. The program consisted of 6 teaching sessions, and was based on Barnard’s Keys to Caregiving program.
The participants were 12 mothers of infants born weighing < 1500 grams. Pre-intervention, mothers completed questionnaires assessing their anxiety, competence, and posttraumatic stress, and mother-infant interaction was observed. Post-intervention, the same measures were administered, and mothers completed a satisfaction questionnaire. Assessment of feasibility included an examination of: 1) ability to enrol eligible mothers, 2) adherence to planned methods of data collection, and 3) adherence to planned methods of intervention delivery. Satisfaction data were analyzed to assess program acceptability.
The participation rate was high (67%). 4/12 (33%) mothers withdrew. 50% of withdrawals were mothers of multiples, thus the program may not feasible for this group. Data collection was completed as planned, except for mothers who withdrew. 7/9 (78%) mothers received all the content, most (6/9) over 4 meetings rather that the 6 planned. This was due to time constraints. 6/8 (75%) mothers were very satisfied with the program, and would recommend it to others. 7/8 (87%) stated it helped them interact with their infant. 100% thought that the number of meetings was very appropriate. 7/8 found the reading materials very helpful. Thus, we conclude that the program is both feasible and acceptable. A randomized controlled trial is needed to assess the intervention’s effectiveness.

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