Effect of Family-Centered Care on Maternal Caring Burden in Premature  Infants Admitted to Intensive Care Unit

Zahra Mansouri; Zahra Pourmovahed; Hassan Zareei Mahmoodabadi

doi:10.18502/wjpn.v5i1.10122

Zahra Mansouri Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Zahra Pourmovahed Department of Nursing Education, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Hassan Zareei Mahmoodabadi Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/wjpn.v5i1.10122

Keywords: Family-centered care, Mothers, Premature, Infants, Care burden

Abstract

Background: Birth of a preterm newborn profoundly challenges the mother to play her parenting role. The care burden of the mother affects the entire family system. This study aimed to identify the impact of family centered care on the care burden of mothers with preterm newborns hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 59 mothers of preterm newborns hospitalized in the NICU of the Hafiz hospital in Shiraz,Iran, were assessed. A four-stage family-centered care program was implemented in the first seven days of the infant's hospitalization. The control group received routine care. The amount of care burden of the mothers was measured using Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS). The control and experimental groups filled out the questionnaire at the baseline (third day after admission) and the seventh day after hospitalization.

Results: After the intervention, the mean score of care burden in mothers in the control and experimental groups were 62.73 ± 7.44 and 58.13 ± 8.17, respectively. The mean score of care burden in mothers in the experimental group was significantly lower than before the intervention. The results of the univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a significant difference in mean scores of care burden and their subscales in two groups (P=0.04).

Conclusion: Family-centered care reduces the care burden of mothers of preterm newborns by emphasizing the helpful presence of the other family members, especially fathers in the NICUs. The family-centered care approach is effective and it has positive effect on parental involvement in the care of the newborn on the process of recovery.