Recommendations for peer-to-peer support for NICU parents

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Abstract

Peer-to-peer support provided by ‘veteran' neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents to those with current NICU babies is a legitimate and unique form of support that can complement or supplement, but not replace, services provided by professional NICU staff. Peer support can be delivered through hospital- or community-based programs that offer one-to-one in-person or telephone matches, or support groups that meet in-person or via the Internet. Issues in program development, volunteer training and program operation are discussed. Recommendations for offering peer support to all NICU parents as an integral component of family-centered care and comprehensive family support are presented.

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Most cited references 29

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Patient- and family-centered care and the pediatrician's role.

(2012)

Drawing on several decades of work with families, pediatricians, other health care professionals, and policy makers, the American Academy of Pediatrics provides a definition of patient- and family-centered care. In pediatrics, patient- and family-centered care is based on the understanding that the family is the child's primary source of strength and support. Further, this approach to care recognizes that the perspectives and information provided by families, children, and young adults are essential components of high-quality clinical decision-making, and that patients and family are integral partners with the health care team. This policy statement outlines the core principles of patient- and family-centered care, summarizes some of the recent literature linking patient- and family-centered care to improved health outcomes, and lists various other benefits to be expected when engaging in patient- and family-centered pediatric practice. The statement concludes with specific recommendations for how pediatricians can integrate patient- and family-centered care in hospitals, clinics, and community settings, and in broader systems of care, as well.

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Maternal psychological distress and parenting stress after the birth of a very low-birth-weight infant.

Lynn Singer (1999)

Few studies document how parents adapt to the experience of a very low-birth-weight (VLBW; 36 weeks, >2500 g). Standardized, normative self-report measures of maternal psychological distress, parenting stress, family impact, and life stressors. Mothers of VLBW infants (high risk, n = 122; low risk, n = 84) had more psychological distress than mothers of term infants (n=123) at 1 month (13% vs 1%; P = .003). At 2 years, mothers of low-risk VLBW infants did not differ from term mothers, while mothers of high-risk infants continued to report psychological distress. By 3 years, mothers of high-risk VLBW children did not differ from mothers of term children in distress symptoms, while parenting stress remained greater. Severity of maternal depression was related to lower child developmental outcomes in both VLBW groups. The impact of VLBW birth varies with child medical risk status, age, and developmental outcome. Follow-up programs should incorporate psychological screening and support services for mothers of VLBW infants in the immediate postnatal period, with monitoring of mothers of high-risk VLBW infants.

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Depressive symptoms in mothers of prematurely born infants.

Diane Holditch-Davis, Mark D Schwartz, David Scher … (2007)

This longitudinal, descriptive study described the level of depressive symptoms in mothers of preterm infants from birth through 27 months corrected age and examined factors associated with depressive symptoms. The framework for the study was guided by an ecological developmental systems perspective and an adaptation of the Preterm Parental Distress Model. In this model, we hypothesize that a mother's emotional distress to the birth and parenting of a prematurely born child is influenced by personal and family factors, severity of the infant's health status, and illness-related stress and worry. Participants were 102 mothers of preterm infants who were off the ventilator and not otherwise dependent on major technology at enrollment. Mean depressive symptoms scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) during hospitalization were high and more than half the mothers (63%) had scores of > or =16 indicating risk of depression. Depressive scores declined over time until 6 months and then were fairly stable. Unmarried mothers, mothers of infants who were rehospitalized, and mothers who reported more maternal role alteration stress during hospitalization and worry about the child's health had more depressive symptoms through the first year. Mothers who reported more parental role alteration stress during hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] = 1.570, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.171-2.104) and more worry about the child's health (OR = 2.350, 95% CI: 1.842-2.998) were more likely to experience elevated CES-D scores that put them at risk of depression. Also, mothers of rehospitalized infants had decreasing odds of elevated CES-D scores over time (OR = 0.982 per week, 95% CI: 0.968-0.996). Findings have implications for the support of mothers during hospitalization and in the early years of parenting a preterm infant.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Perinatol

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): J Perinatol

Title: Journal of Perinatology

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

ISSN (Print): 0743-8346

ISSN (Electronic): 1476-5543

Publication date (Print): December 2015

Publication date (Electronic): 24 November 2015

Volume: 35

Issue: Suppl 1

Pages: S9-S13

Affiliations

[1 ]Division of Neonatology, St John's Regional Medical Center , Oxnard, CA, USA

[2 ]School of Nursing, Elmira College , Elmira, NY, USA

[3 ]Program Director, Hand to Hold , Austin, TX, USA

[4 ]Founder and President, NICU Helping Hands , Fort Worth, TX, USA

Author notes

[* ]Division of Neonatology, St John's Regional Medical Center , 1600 N. Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93030, USA. E-mail: suehallmd@ 123456gmail.com

Article

Publisher Item ID: jp2015143

DOI: 10.1038/jp.2015.143

PMC ID: 4694192

PubMed ID: 26597805

SO-VID: cb679d38-77a0-4721-a753-c1684f095cbb

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Recommendations for peer-to-peer support for NICU parents

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Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities

Most cited references 29

Patient- and family-centered care and the pediatrician's role.

Maternal psychological distress and parenting stress after the birth of a very low-birth-weight infant.

Depressive symptoms in mothers of prematurely born infants.

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