Pilot Implementation of the NeuroSense PremmieEd Parenting Educational Programme for Parents with Infants in the
Welma Lubbe1,2, Kirsten A Donald1
1Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
Insights
This pilot study explored the NeuroSense PremmieEd parenting program for mothers of preterm infants in South Africa. While not statistically significant, the facilitated intervention showed a trend toward improved maternal knowledge and lower stress levels.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Parental education
- Perinatal mental health
Background:
- Preterm birth and NICU admission can increase parental stress and hinder parent-infant interaction.
- Parental education programs are often limited in low-resource settings, impacting care engagement.
- The NeuroSense PremmieEd program was piloted to address these challenges in a South African NICU.
Purpose of the Study:
- To pilot a culturally relevant parenting education intervention.
- To enhance parental understanding of preterm infant behavior and cue interpretation.
- To reduce parental stress during NICU admission.
Main Methods:
- A sequential cohort pilot study involving 60 mothers of preterm infants (24-36 weeks gestation).
- Three groups: standard care (n=20), booklet only (n=20), booklet plus facilitated session (n=20).
- Data collected pre- and post-intervention using Knowledge of Preterm Infant Behaviour (KPIB) and Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS:NICU) questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Knowledge scores showed a positive trend in all groups, with the greatest improvement in the facilitated group (p=0.176).
- Maternal stress significantly increased over time across all groups (p=0.005).
- The facilitated group consistently reported the lowest stress levels at both timepoints.
Conclusions:
- The NeuroSense PremmieEd program demonstrates potential for improving maternal understanding of preterm infant behavior.
- The facilitated intervention showed a trend towards enhanced knowledge and reduced stress.
- Further research is needed to refine content delivery, include diverse populations, and develop scalable approaches.
Abstract:
Introduction: Preterm birth and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission may elevate parental stress and impair early parent-infant interaction. In low-resource settings, where staff and resources are limited, parental education programmes are often also limited, further complicating care engagement. This study piloted the NeuroSense PremmieEd parenting educational programme to assess its preliminary impact on maternal stress and knowledge in a South African public-sector NICU. Objectives: This study aimed to pilot a contextually relevant parenting education intervention to enhance parental understanding of preterm infant behaviour, strengthen parents' capacity to interpret and respond sensitively to infant cues, and reduce parental stress during NICU admission. Methodology: This sequential cohort pilot study involved 60 mothers of preterm infants (gestational age, 24-36 weeks) admitted to two comparable NICUs. Mothers (aged 18-45 years) were allocated to three groups. Arm 1 received standard care (n = 20), Arm 2 received a printed educational booklet (n = 20), and Arm 3 received the booklet plus a facilitated education session (n = 20). Pre- and post-intervention data were collected using the Knowledge of Preterm Infant Behaviour (KPIB) questionnaire and the Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS:NICU). Descriptive statistics were used to explore differences between arms. Results: Knowledge scores measured with the KPIB tool showed a positive trend in all groups, with the greatest improvement observed in Arm 3; however, these changes were not statistically significant (p = 0.176). Maternal stress measured using the PSS:NICU increased significantly over time across all groups (F(1, 57) = 8.40, p = 0.005), with Arm 3 consistently reporting the lowest stress at both timepoints. Discussion: The facilitated intervention was associated with a trend towards improved maternal knowledge of preterm infant behaviour. This pilot study highlighted the potential of structured and culturally relevant education to support early parenting in a public-sector NICU in South Africa. Maternal stress levels remained high across all groups. While this finding may be due to parents' experience of changes in infant medical condition, fatigue, and other factors, these were not investigated in this study and therefore warrant further exploration in future work. Conclusions: The NeuroSense PremmieEd programme shows promise in improving maternal understanding of preterm infant behaviour. The results highlight the need for further adaptation of content delivery, inclusion of diverse populations (e.g., by preterm category) and scalable, low-resource approaches to improve engagement and long-term outcomes.
