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"Babywearing" in the NICU: An Intervention for Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Lela Rankin Williams1, Molly Gebler-Wolfe, Lisa M Grisham

  • 1School of Social Work Tucson, Arizona State University, Tucson (Dr Williams and Ms Gebler-Wolfe); Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Banner University Medical Center Tucson, Tucson, Arizona (Ms Grisham and Dr Bader); and Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona, Tucson (Dr Bader).

Advances in Neonatal Care : Official Journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses
|October 3, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Babywearing, or infant carrying, significantly reduces distress in infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). This nonpharmacological approach also lowers heart rates in both infants and caregivers, offering a comforting and accessible intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Developmental psychology
  • Public health

Background:

  • The US opioid epidemic has increased infants at risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
  • Traditional NAS treatment relies on pharmacological interventions.
  • Nonpharmacological methods like skin-to-skin contact can manage NAS-related distress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if "babywearing" (infant carrying) reduces distress in infants with NAS and their caregivers.
  • To assess the impact of babywearing on infant and caregiver physiological stress markers.

Main Methods:

  • Heart rate was monitored in infants and adults (parents and unfamiliar adults) in a NICU.
  • Measurements were taken before, during (20 minutes), and after (5 minutes) babywearing.
  • A hierarchical linear model analyzed data across three time points.

Main Results:

  • Babywearing decreased both infant and caregiver heart rates.
  • Infants held by parents experienced a 15 bpm decrease in heart rate, compared to 5.5 bpm for those held by unfamiliar adults.
  • Adult heart rates decreased by 7 bpm for parents and nearly 3 bpm for unfamiliar adults.

Conclusions:

  • Babywearing is a noninvasive, accessible, and potentially inexpensive intervention for comforting infants with NAS.
  • This practice can support parenting and be utilized by non-parent caregivers like nurses and volunteers.
  • Close physical contact through babywearing may improve NAS outcomes and reduce the need for medication.
Abstract

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