The Impact of Family-Centered Care on the Care Burden of Mothers with Preterm Newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

The birth of a preterm newborn profoundly challenges the mother to play her parenting role. The care burden of the mother affects the entire family system. This study aimed to identify the impact of family-centered care on the care burden of mothers with preterm newborns hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
In this quasi-experimental study, 60 mothers of preterm newborns hospitalized in the NICU of the Hafiz hospital in Shiraz were assessed. A four-stage family-centered care program was implemented in the first seven days of the infant's hospitalization. The control group received routine care. The amount of care burden of the mothers was measured using Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS). The two groups filled out the questionnaire at the baseline (third day after admission) and the seventh day after hospitalization.
After the intervention, the mean score of care burden in mothers in the control and experimental groups were 62.73 ± 7.44 and 58.13 ± 8.17, respectively. In the experimental group, the mean score significantly decreased compared to before the intervention. The results of the univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a significant difference between the two groups' mean score of care burden and its subscales (P < 0.05).
Family-centered care reduces the care burden of mothers of preterm newborns by emphasizing the helpful presence of the other family members, especially the father in the NICU. The family-centered care approach is cost-effective, feasible, practical, and effective, in addition to the positive effects of parental involvement in the care of the newborn on the process of recovery.