Effect of Educational- Supportive Intervention for Fathers of Premature Newborn on Mother-Newborn Attachment and Parents Anxiety

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: The birth of premature infant and need to hospitalization in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), is a risk for initial mother-infant bonding and increase of emotional-mental stress in parents, and nursing support of the families of such infants seems necessary. Therefore, the present study was carried out with the aim of the effect of support-education intervention of premature infant's fathers on the rate of mother – infant attachment. Materials and Methods: In the present clinical trial study, 60 fathers of premature infants hospitalized in NICU were allocated to two groups by senary blocking method and parental anxiety and mother-infant attachment were measured in two groups before intervention. The ward routine cares was conducted for control group but, necessary trainings were given for fathers of intervention group within two 60-minute sessions and the parents were given the opportunity to attend beside infant in non-visit hours for 3 days in order to exchange the views. One day after completion of support intervention, mother-infant attachment was measured again in three times and parental anxiety was also measured in both groups. The data of the research was collected by using of demographic valid and reliable questionnaire, spielberger questionnaire and mother-infant attachment check-list (AVANT) and evaluated using SPSS-22. Findings: The survey of difference of total mean scores of attachment after intervention compared to before intervention in two groups showed that, the increase of attachment score was significant in the intervention group(12.8+_ 4.55) but, no significant statistical difference was seen between before and after intervention in the control group (2.1+_3.90)(P<0.000).The survey of difference of total mean scores of mother's anxiety after intervention compared to before intervention in both groups showed that the decrease of anxiety score was significant in the intervention group (-21.6+_ 19.9), but no significant statistical difference was seen between before and after intervention in the control group(-3.1+_ 16.4), (P<0.000). Also, the survey of difference of total mean scores of father's anxiety after intervention compared to before intervention in both groups showed that, the decrease of anxiety score was significant in the intervention group (-10+_11.29) but, no significant statistical difference was seen between before and after intervention in the control group(-2.75+_13.14), (P= 0.031). Conclusion: considering the increase of mother-infant attachment and decrease of parental anxiety after father's support-education intervention , it is possible to conclude that , the family-oriented interventions , father's training, involving fathers in support of mothers, and facilitating parents communication with each other, can be effective in improving the mother-infant communication and reducing the emotional-mental stress in parents.