An intervention programme for mothers of premature babies

Abstract

Maternal attachment is not an easy process for those new mothers faced with the unexpected trauma of premature birth and subsequent separation from their infants during a period of neonatal intensive care. While mothers are now allowed freer access to neonatal nurseries, paediatricians observe that many new mothers are reluctant and unconfident about handling their babies there. A study was designed to investigate whether an intervention programme could affect change in the interactive behaviours of mothers with their pre-term infants during the time they are placed in incubators for intensive care. An experimental group and control group, each of ten primi-parous mothers were observed during early interactions with their premature infants in the neonatal nursery soon after delivery. Mothers' behaviours were time sampled on a range of categories classified as instrumental or non-instrumental. They were also questioned on their attitudes to their babies and to their perception of their parenting role. The same observation and questioning procedures were used with both groups five days later, to measure any change in behaviour or attitudes. Mothers in the experimental group were shown a videotape programme soon after the initial observation. This programme and an accompanying pamphlet explained the equipment and routines involved in the neonatal unit and demonstrated ways in which a mother could interact with her baby within the constraints of this equipment in an incubator. There was a change in the experimental group mothers' non-instrumental behaviour in the expected direction which, however, did not reach a level of significance. These results and factors influencing them are compared with overseas studies and their implications discussed.