The Effectiveness of Participatory Care Program in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on State Anxiety of Mothers of Preterm Newborns

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) induces high level of anxiety for parents, especially primipara mothers. So strategies are necessary to reduce parent anxiety. Intervention that suggested in this situation is presence and participation of parents in the care of infant. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of participatory care program on maternal state anxiety that have preterm newborns hospitalized in NICU. The design of this study was a randomized clinical trial. The study participants included 100 mothers with preterm newborns (30-37 weeks) hospitalized in NICU of Akbarabadi hospital in 2010. Samples divided by consecutive sampling method and randomized to two experiment and control groups (n=50 in each group). The interventional program was conducted for experiment group in the form of an individualized educational session and presence and active participation of mothers in their newborn’ care in NICU. The state anxiety scale score was classified based on Spielberger, average to above, high anxiety, average to low and low anxiety. The data were collected at the pre-test (24 hours after admission of the infants) and post-test (discharge phase) and then compared. At pretest, the findings showed no significant difference regarding state anxiety between two groups (control= 63.8±8.1 and experiment= 65.08±8.48) (p=0.84), whereas at posttest, significant reduction in maternal state anxiety was seen in the experiment group (29.96±6.31) compared to the control group (52.80±10.37) (p<0.001). The results confirm the participation of mothers in the care of preterm infants is effective intervention in the reduction of maternal anxiety, so employing this strategy by the authorities seems necessary by providing the appropriate substrates in the clinical environment.