Related Experiment Videos
Relieving parental anxiety in the care-by-parent unit
To determine if maternal anxiety could be reduced by allowing mothers to live in the hospital with their infant before discharge, a study was conducted using 14 mothers who spent 36 to 48 hours in a care-by-parent unit (CBPU) just before the infants' discharge home. The mothers gradually assumed total responsibility for infant care with the support of health-care professionals. Anxiety of mothers was measured before and after their care-by-parent experience. In one situation, which involved potential illness of the infant, maternal anxiety was significantly reduced. If further studies support these results, care-by-parent units for infants who require intensive care should be part of discharge planning in neonatal intensive care units.
To determine if maternal anxiety could be reduced by allowing mothers to live in the hospital with their infant before discharge, a study was conducted using 14 mothers who spent 36 to 48 hours in a care-by-parent unit (CBPU) just before the infants' discharge home. The mothers gradually assumed total responsibility for infant care with the support of health-care professionals. Anxiety of mothers was measured before and after their care-by-parent experience. In one situation, which involved potential illness of the infant, maternal anxiety was significantly reduced. If further studies support these results, care-by-parent units for infants who require intensive care should be part of discharge planning in neonatal intensive care units.