Robyn Miller, S. Bedwell, Leann L Laubach
May 7, 2020
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Influential Citations
2
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Nursing for women's health
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To understand the experiences of caregivers using baby carriers to hold their infant after discharge from the NICU. DESIGN The qualitative research design was transcendental phenomenology. SETTING/LOCAL PROBLEM Caregiving of NICU graduates is associated with greater incidence of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, which can impair caregivers' abilities to form secure attachments with their infants. In addition, lack of paid parental leave, especially among those of low socioeconomic status, can result in prolonged separations between infants and caregivers in the NICU, producing toxic stressors. PARTICIPANTS Eight caregivers ages 21 to 41 years whose infants were discharged from the NICU of a regional referral academic medical center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Homogenous convenience sampling was used by posting recruitment flyers in common areas of the NICU frequented by family members. INTERVENTION/MEASUREMENTS Participants were educated before discharge on using baby carriers that held their infants in kangaroo position. They were asked to carry their infant in the carrier for 3 hours a day for the 2-month study period. RESULTS Six total themes were identified; four were previously identified in kangaroo care and skin-to-skin care research: Attachment, Calmness and Sleep, Decreased Stress and Anxiety, and Parental Empowerment; two were independent to this study: Ease of Work and Self-Care. CONCLUSION The themes identified indicate that babywearing has the potential to address harms-such as stress, fear, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder-that may be experienced by caregivers of infants discharged from the NICU. Babywearing can be used as an intervention to support caregivers and promote positive health outcomes after a NICU discharge.