Paper
Saturday, 22 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Pediatric Issues and Initiatives
Parent Delivered Gentle Infant Massage in the NICU: Program Evaluation
Jacqueline McGrath, PhD, RN, NNP, School of Nursing, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA and Maria Thillet, BSN, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Define parent delivered infant massage and identify two short term and one long term goals of parent delivered infant massage.
Learning Objective #2: Describe an individualized program of infant massage and discuss the caregiving implications of parent delivered infant massage in the NICU.
PROBLEM STATEMENT: Parents often feel they have little to contribute to the care of their infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), especially when their infant is very ill and easily over-stimulated. This inability to provide care can increase the stress for parents and can decrease their attachment to their infant that can have both short and long term implications for the child’s development.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Parents of infants in the NICU are taught the fundamentals of infant massage in conjunction with an understanding of infant behavioral cues in a one hour session with the developmental specialist. All massages are delivered by the parents. Parents are asked to document their massage sessions and evaluate the information/that they received in the session. Follow-up sessions with the developmental specialist are at the request of the families.

METHODS: Sixty parents completed a simple questionnaire shortly after the intervention session, with both quantitative and qualitative data collected.

RESULTS: All families found the sessions to be very helpful (98%). Most reported an increase in feelings of satisfaction with their ability to care for their child (94%). Many stated that the information made them feel like they knew their baby better and had a stronger bond with their infant (96%). Most would also recommend the program to another family (95%). 

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:  Parent delivered gentle infant massage facilitates the parental role in the NICU and should be taught to all parents. Parents need a basic understanding of infant behaviors and cues as well as the massage techniques to be successful in providing this intervention to their infant. Daily infant massages that are sensitive and age appropriate can facilitate infant attachment and parental bonding.

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