Thousands of infants are born prematurely on an annual basis, and it is a challenge in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to facilitate parent-child attachment while still providing the safest clinical environment for the infant. One significant area of research where premature infants are concerned is the effect of early skin to skin contact (SSC), or kangaroo care, between the parent(s) and child during their stay in the NICU. Although it has been found that early and frequent SSC promotes positive physiological responses in preterm infants, there is mostly speculative data regarding the long-term psychosocial effects where parent-infant bonding is concerned. An important question for the clinician working in this specialty area to find a quantifiable answer for is, “Do parents who are permitted to touch and/or hold their infant in the NICU bond with their infant better than those who are not able to do this?” This type of question is structured in the PICO model, which is one of the most common models used in evidenced-based practice (EBP). The question is structured in a way that the patient population and practice or intervention are clearly identified, making it easier for the researcher to find relevant research data using the internet and databases. More specifically, PICO can be broken down into: P (patient population or condition of interest), I (intervention of interest), C (comparison of interest), and O (outcome of interest). (Schmidt & Brown, 2012) For the question at hand, the P (population) was parents of infants in the NICU, the I (intervention of interest) considered was the ability to touch and/or hold their infant, C (comparison) was parents who were not permitted physical contact with their infant,... ... middle of paper ... ...es have to realize that they are not just caring for a premature infant, but also a new family. It is also important for the nurse to understand that the mothers’ and fathers’ approach to touching and bonding with their infant may differ. Although quantitative data from Chiu and Anderson (2009) did not reveal significant differences between the control group and the SSC group at 18 months, the data from Latva et al. (2008) showed significant behavioral differences at six years old when infants were touched as newborns and formed a secure attachment. Therefore, for the health and well-being of both parents and child, time and opportunity to have SSC and bonding experiences must be priorities in the plan of care for infants in the NICU. As one mother stated, “I need to be allowed to feel that he is mine.” (Fegran, Helseth, & Fagermoen, 2007, pg. 813)
There was another study done by a midwife that was looking at the relationship between the NICU and kangaroo care. The study noticed that the stay in the NICU was decreased by one day when they participated in kangaroo care. This study also found that more kangaroo care babies were discharged breastfeeding. The studies also found that even in sick babies that there were positive results. The skin to skin contact with the baby proves to help the mother with...
In 1976 Marshall H. Klaus and John H. Kennell came out with a book called “Parent Infant Bonding”. It discussed their hypothesis that like other animals, there is a brief moment directly following the birth of a child where skin-to-skin contact between mother and offspring creates a strong bond. Although this theory continues to be supported by many, some criticized the process of Klaus and Kennell’s studies. Some of these criticisms likely came from their definition of a “critical” time period after birth.
At Cook Children’s Hospital, NICU parents are not only seen as the parents of the infants, but they also incorporate them as part of the team. Parents are highly encouraged to spend as much time as they possibly can with their premature infants, to have physical contact with them by giving them kangaroo time, which allows parents to have skin-to-skin contact with their infant, as soon as the infant reaches the stage in which he or she is a suitable candidate to be in physical contact with their parents. Siblings who are over 3 are allowed to visit their siblings at the NICU at specific times of the day, and child life specialists help siblings understand what is going on with their baby brother or sister who is in the NICU. If they have any specific questions, the child life specialist is there to assist them. Families are referred to other institutions that will be able to help them if their facilities aren’t able to fulfill their needs. One of the institutions that...
The act of providing kangaroo care to neonates is something that has been around for many years. Having a mother and newborn experience skin to skin, chest to chest contact was first studied in 1970 (Ludington-Hoe, 2011). This care was studied many years ago but has not been promoted and utilized as it should. When neonates are born prematurely, the parents and neonate experience a great amount of stress. The ideal thought of giving birth to a healthy term infant has been shattered. The neonate must adjust to extrauterine life and the parents experience separation anxiety as their neonate is admitted to the NICU. The act of kangaroo care promotes bonding and a...
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or "crib death" is an abrupt and inexplicable death of an apparently healthy infant. Most of the cases involve infants from ages 1-12 months, and the event occurs during the night. Various theories have been postulated from research results but without consistency of the etiology. Since the death is sudden, prior diagnostic criteria or patterns are not available for correlation, although some near-miss infants have been followed. A number of possibilities have been documented in current literature, to include beta-endorphin changes, abnormal temperature regulation, pineal abnormalities, carotid body irregularities, lead poisoning, elevated fetal hemoglobin, brainstem immaturity, and cerebral hypoperfusion. The following is an overview of these pathologies in their relation to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
When a parent has a baby staying in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, they are worried and stressed about the health of their baby. This worriedness and stress can lead to the parents developing Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder. A parent is more likely to develop Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder if they experience a fear of the unknown and fear of death, quality of life, medical interventions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and stories from other parent’s experiences with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A study founded that with parents who have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit experience suffering in social relationships, this includes marital relationships. The article suggest childbirth educators should prepare parents for the possibility of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder in prenatal classes and teach the symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder, so parents can recognize if they start to show the symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder that they can receive the help they need.
In these articles being discussed, the authors, Peter Langlois, Rhiannon Meyers, and Steve Lerner discuss the birth defects in Corpus Christi and the possible causes of the matter. Meyers, Langlois, and Lerner all used the idea of stasis to state the local issue of the health of babies in the southern parts of Texas.
The attachment style that a child endures with their mother initially begins before the child is even born. In the mother’s womb, the infant becomes aware of their mother and father’s voices, where they begin to develop a bond with them and feel nurtured and comforted by the things they hear their parents sing and speak to them. According to Bowlby, the development of attachment takes place in four different phases and are reinforced as they grow older from the Preattachment (birth to age 6 weeks), attachment-in-the-making (age 6 weeks to 8 months), clear cut attachment (between 8 months to 1 ½ years of age) and the reciprocal relationship (from 1 ½ or 2 and on). As the child grows older, then begin to understand their parent’s feelings and motives and are able to organize their efforts and reciprocate the same i...
Infant attachment is the first relationship that occurs between infants and their mothers or other primary caregivers (Craig & Dunn, 2010). The mother-infant attachment begins at birth and is considered by a group of...
Infant attachment is the first relationship a child experiences and is crucial to the child’s survival (BOOK). A mother’s response to her child will yield either a secure bond or insecurity with the infant. Parents who respond “more sensitively and responsively to the child’s distress” establish a secure bond faster than “parents of insecure children”. (Attachment and Emotion, page 475) The quality of the attachment has “profound implications for the child’s feelings of security and capacity to form trusting relationships” (Book). Simply stated, a positive early attachment will likely yield positive physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development for the child. (BOOK)
It is important to remember there are several factors to consider when dealing with the subject of prison nurseries. From the medical costs of maintaining both the mothers and their newborns in prison, to the liability of how a prison setting may hinder the infant’s development, determining the pros and cons it is not an easy task. A five-year study on infants raised in a prison nursery (Byrne at al., 2010) showed that infants can be raised securely attached to their mothers, even in a prison setting. However, this study also concludes by stating that the development of attachment relationship is a fragile one and ongoing. It requires the participation of not only the mothers, but also of the future caregivers. This study also acknowledges that it was limited by the small nu...
Skin-to-skin is also called kangaroo care. After birth of the child this nursing intervention begins immediately. The nurse places the newborn in the prone position on the mother’s bare chest. (Pigeon Turenne, et al., 2016). The nurse can place blankets over the infant and begin drying the newborn. Weight of the newborn can be postponed until the initial maternal-infant bond has been made (Hugill, 2015). The nurse can assess the infant during kangaroo care. She/he should administer all other interventions, such as vitamin k injections, while kangaroo care is in process (Pigeon Turenne, et al., 2016).
...Weller, Aron, Sirota, Lea & Eidelman, Arthur I. (2003). Testing a family intervention hypothesis: The contribution of mother-infant skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo care) to family interaction, proximity, and touch. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 94-107. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.17.1.94
In the Merriam Webster dictionary, infanticide is a term described as the act of killing an infant. Other sources describe it as the act of killing one’s own child, or killing of a child less than 12 months old. Female infanticide is more common than the killing of male offspring. More often than not, it is the mother who does the killing.
A premature birth is when the baby is delivered 3 weeks or more before the normal due date. In other words, it's the delivery of the baby at 37 weeks rather than the full 40 week pregnancy (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Having premature birth causes the premature development of the baby. This means that their vital organs which are necessary for sustainability and survivability are underdeveloped, therefore increasing the risk of respiratory distress for the neonates because they develop breathing disorders (Mayo Clinic, 2011). These premature babies are not able to secrete enough surfactant essential for breathing making it difficult for the babies to breathe properly (Thoracic Society).