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Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
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Parents need support to find ways to optimise their own sleep without seeing their preterm infant's sleeping patterns

Ylva Thernström Blomqvist1,2, Kerstin Hedberg Nyqvist2, Christine Rubertsson2

  • 1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 95 F, Uppsala University Children's Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|December 8, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Maternal insomnia during neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays predicted infant sleep issues post-discharge. Parents require support for optimal sleep solutions, viewing infant sleep patterns constructively.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pediatric sleep medicine
  • Parental well-being

Background:

  • Infant sleep disturbances are common, especially after neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission.
  • Parental sleep quality can be significantly impacted by infant health issues and NICU stays.
  • Understanding parental sleep perception is crucial for supporting infant development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate parental perceptions of their own and their infant's sleep during NICU admission and post-discharge.
  • To explore infant sleeping locations at home after NICU discharge.
  • To identify associations between maternal insomnia and infant sleep problems.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study in two Swedish university hospitals.
  • Involved 86 mothers and 84 fathers of infants admitted to the NICU.
  • Utilized the Insomnia Severity Index and questionnaires at multiple time points (NICU stay, discharge, 2, 6, and 12 months corrected age).

Main Results:

  • Mothers reported higher insomnia severity than fathers during NICU hospitalization.
  • Maternal insomnia severity correlated with increased infant sleep problems at discharge and at 2 and 12 months corrected age (p < 0.05).
  • 75% of parents practiced bed-sharing post-discharge, decreasing to 60% at 12 months corrected age; 4-10% reported severe infant sleep problems.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal insomnia during infant NICU admission is linked to persistent infant sleep problems.
  • Parents benefit from support to manage infant sleep without perceiving it as a problem.
  • Early identification and intervention for parental sleep disturbances may improve infant sleep outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
Bed-sharingInsomniaNeonatal intensive care unitPreterm infantsSleep problems

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