Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Trial Evaluating the Effect of Information of Early Childhood Intervention on Stress Levels of Parents of Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants at the NICU

It is not known to what extent early information on early childhood intervention (ECI) by ECI professionals reduces or increases stress levels of parents having an extremely preterm infant at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Using an observational pilot study, we gave information on ECI in a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bernhard Resch, Judith Fröhlich, Katharina Murg, Elisabeth Pichler-Stachl, Claudia Hofbauer-Krug, Ronald Kurz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.684369/full
id doaj-35d00a48b6314cfda7482443dc26c9a3
record_format Article
spelling doaj-35d00a48b6314cfda7482443dc26c9a32021-09-07T04:40:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652021-09-01910.3389/fpubh.2021.684369684369Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Trial Evaluating the Effect of Information of Early Childhood Intervention on Stress Levels of Parents of Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants at the NICUBernhard Resch0Bernhard Resch1Bernhard Resch2Judith Fröhlich3Katharina Murg4Elisabeth Pichler-Stachl5Claudia Hofbauer-Krug6Ronald Kurz7Research Unit for Neonatal Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaUniversity Course for Interdisciplinary Early Intervention and Family Support, Postgraduate School, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaUniversity Course for Interdisciplinary Early Intervention and Family Support, Postgraduate School, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaUniversity Course for Interdisciplinary Early Intervention and Family Support, Postgraduate School, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaIt is not known to what extent early information on early childhood intervention (ECI) by ECI professionals reduces or increases stress levels of parents having an extremely preterm infant at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Using an observational pilot study, we gave information on ECI in a randomized matter to parents of an extremely low gestational age newborn (ELGAN) at the chronological age of 3–4 weeks (cases) or not (controls). After informed consent, parents judged the infants at the age of 5–7 weeks with the Parental Stressor Scales: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [PSS: NICU test has three subscales = “Sights and Sounds” (five items), “Parental Role Alteration” (14 items), and “Look and Behave” (seven items)]. Total scales score and subscales scores were comparable between 13 cases and 13 controls over a study period of 1.5 years. Total scores were 9.32 ± 0.72 in the cases compared to 10.02 ± 0.76 in the controls, (95% CI −6.93 to 4.93). Overall, the cases scored lower in most of the items. Early information on ECI at the NICU was provided to parents with an ELGAN did not result in higher stress levels measured with the PSS: NICU. Whether early information on ECI is a strategy, which might be able to reduce parental stress levels, has to be proven in larger studies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.684369/fullneonatal intensive care unitextremely low gestational age neonatesstress levelearly childhood interventionparental stress scale
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Bernhard Resch
Bernhard Resch
Bernhard Resch
Judith Fröhlich
Katharina Murg
Elisabeth Pichler-Stachl
Claudia Hofbauer-Krug
Ronald Kurz
spellingShingle Bernhard Resch
Bernhard Resch
Bernhard Resch
Judith Fröhlich
Katharina Murg
Elisabeth Pichler-Stachl
Claudia Hofbauer-Krug
Ronald Kurz
Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Trial Evaluating the Effect of Information of Early Childhood Intervention on Stress Levels of Parents of Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants at the NICU
Frontiers in Public Health
neonatal intensive care unit
extremely low gestational age neonates
stress level
early childhood intervention
parental stress scale
author_facet Bernhard Resch
Bernhard Resch
Bernhard Resch
Judith Fröhlich
Katharina Murg
Elisabeth Pichler-Stachl
Claudia Hofbauer-Krug
Ronald Kurz
author_sort Bernhard Resch
title Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Trial Evaluating the Effect of Information of Early Childhood Intervention on Stress Levels of Parents of Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants at the NICU
title_short Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Trial Evaluating the Effect of Information of Early Childhood Intervention on Stress Levels of Parents of Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants at the NICU
title_full Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Trial Evaluating the Effect of Information of Early Childhood Intervention on Stress Levels of Parents of Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants at the NICU
title_fullStr Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Trial Evaluating the Effect of Information of Early Childhood Intervention on Stress Levels of Parents of Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants at the NICU
title_full_unstemmed Prospective Randomized Observational Pilot Trial Evaluating the Effect of Information of Early Childhood Intervention on Stress Levels of Parents of Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants at the NICU
title_sort prospective randomized observational pilot trial evaluating the effect of information of early childhood intervention on stress levels of parents of extremely low gestational age infants at the nicu
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Public Health
issn 2296-2565
publishDate 2021-09-01
description It is not known to what extent early information on early childhood intervention (ECI) by ECI professionals reduces or increases stress levels of parents having an extremely preterm infant at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Using an observational pilot study, we gave information on ECI in a randomized matter to parents of an extremely low gestational age newborn (ELGAN) at the chronological age of 3–4 weeks (cases) or not (controls). After informed consent, parents judged the infants at the age of 5–7 weeks with the Parental Stressor Scales: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [PSS: NICU test has three subscales = “Sights and Sounds” (five items), “Parental Role Alteration” (14 items), and “Look and Behave” (seven items)]. Total scales score and subscales scores were comparable between 13 cases and 13 controls over a study period of 1.5 years. Total scores were 9.32 ± 0.72 in the cases compared to 10.02 ± 0.76 in the controls, (95% CI −6.93 to 4.93). Overall, the cases scored lower in most of the items. Early information on ECI at the NICU was provided to parents with an ELGAN did not result in higher stress levels measured with the PSS: NICU. Whether early information on ECI is a strategy, which might be able to reduce parental stress levels, has to be proven in larger studies.
topic neonatal intensive care unit
extremely low gestational age neonates
stress level
early childhood intervention
parental stress scale
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.684369/full
work_keys_str_mv AT bernhardresch prospectiverandomizedobservationalpilottrialevaluatingtheeffectofinformationofearlychildhoodinterventiononstresslevelsofparentsofextremelylowgestationalageinfantsatthenicu
AT bernhardresch prospectiverandomizedobservationalpilottrialevaluatingtheeffectofinformationofearlychildhoodinterventiononstresslevelsofparentsofextremelylowgestationalageinfantsatthenicu
AT bernhardresch prospectiverandomizedobservationalpilottrialevaluatingtheeffectofinformationofearlychildhoodinterventiononstresslevelsofparentsofextremelylowgestationalageinfantsatthenicu
AT judithfrohlich prospectiverandomizedobservationalpilottrialevaluatingtheeffectofinformationofearlychildhoodinterventiononstresslevelsofparentsofextremelylowgestationalageinfantsatthenicu
AT katharinamurg prospectiverandomizedobservationalpilottrialevaluatingtheeffectofinformationofearlychildhoodinterventiononstresslevelsofparentsofextremelylowgestationalageinfantsatthenicu
AT elisabethpichlerstachl prospectiverandomizedobservationalpilottrialevaluatingtheeffectofinformationofearlychildhoodinterventiononstresslevelsofparentsofextremelylowgestationalageinfantsatthenicu
AT claudiahofbauerkrug prospectiverandomizedobservationalpilottrialevaluatingtheeffectofinformationofearlychildhoodinterventiononstresslevelsofparentsofextremelylowgestationalageinfantsatthenicu
AT ronaldkurz prospectiverandomizedobservationalpilottrialevaluatingtheeffectofinformationofearlychildhoodinterventiononstresslevelsofparentsofextremelylowgestationalageinfantsatthenicu
_version_ 1717764773967298560