Knowledge gained from this study will provide nurses with a means of evaluating the developing mother-preterm infant relationship, and a method to facilitate the development of positive relationships between mothers and their preterm infants. The proposed project will investigate the acquaintance process between mothers and their preterm infants following implementation of a Mother-Preterm Infant Acquaintance Strategy. Fifty-six primiparous mother-preterm infant pairs and 56-multiparous mother-preterm infant pairs (subdivided into 2 groups: 28 mothers with prior term deliveries and 28 mothers with prior preterm deliveries) will be randomly assigned to one of four groups within a block designated as """"""""parity/prior delivery experience"""""""" (RBF-pq). The maternal-preterm infant acquaintance behaviors of 56 pairs (Groups 1 and 2) will be presented during a feeding episode during the first week of the infant's hospitalization. Also, 56 of the mothers (Groups 1 and 3) will receive the intervention (Maternal-Preterm Infant Acquaintance Strategy), which consists of Crisis Intervention, Maternal Orientation to Newborn Behaviors, and Infant Language Program. Subsequently, the mother-preterm infant pairs will be observed at home during a feeding episode to determine each pair's adaptive behaviors. Differences between the groups will be measured by 3-way analysis of variance (pretest x intervention x parity).
| Kirgis, C A; Godfrey, A B; McNeal, C (1991) Nurse supportive acts for mother-preterm infant pairs. Child Health Care 20:144-9 |
