Effect of a Supportive-Training Intervention on Mother-Infant Attachment

Abstract

Background: The need for hospitalization of a premature infant in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a risk for the motherinfant attachment and nursing support is essential for the family of such infants. Aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of supportive-training intervention of fathers of premature infants on mother-infant attachment. Methods: The present clinical trial was conducted in the NICU of 29 Bahman hospital, Tabriz. Sixty fathers of hospitalized premature infants were divided into intervention and control groups. Before the intervention, the mother-infant attachment was measured by the AVANT cheek list. The training intervention was applied to the parents of the intervention group for 2 days and the fathers were conducted to bedside of their infants to visit them and exchange ideas with their wives. The control group only received the routine cares in the unit and ultimately, the mother-infant attachment was re-measured in both groups. Results: No significant difference was observed in the attachment score before and after the intervention in the control group. The attachment score was significantly different in the intervention group (12.8 +/- 4.55 vs 2.1 +/- 3.90). Conclusions: The supportive-training intervention for the fathers of the premature infants and facilitation of the relationship of the parents with each other led to increased mother-infant attachment rate.