If you have worked in a neonatal intensive care unit as a travel nurse, you have probably cared for a preterm infant. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 10 percent of all babies in the U.S. are born prior to the 37th week of pregnancy. As you likely know from your work experiences and nursing education, preemies often weigh significantly less than full-term infants and are at a greater risk for a number of health issues since their organs are underdeveloped. Premature babies are often born with cerebral palsy, have hearing and breathing problems, and experience difficulty feeding, making quality care all the more important.
Healthcare professionals have worked to involve new parents in providing adequate care for their premature children, as maternal interactions are crucial to the baby's physical, mental and social development. In fact, researchers have developed an intervention plan in which nurses educate new moms on effective nurturing techniques. According to the NIH, the plan resulted in higher weight gain, longer length growth and better muscle development.
The study, published in the journal Advances in Neonatal Care, outlined the effectiveness of what researchers called the H-HOPE method (Hospital to Home: Optimizing the Premature Infant's Environment). The strategy encourages moms to pick up on communication cues from their babies and use auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular stimulation, otherwise known as ATVV intervention, according to Stanford Medicine. Nurses can use some of the techniques outlined in the H-HOPE program to help patients in their care.
Communication
Stanford Medical explained that while full-term babies may cry and place their hands on their mouths when they're hungry, preemies won't show those signals as clearly. Rather, they may just slightly lift their hands toward their faces. As such, new moms need to be aware of these signals and pick up the cues to better understand when their children need to be fed. Professionals in nurse practitioner jobs and other members of the patient's healthcare team use the H-HOPE method trains mothers to recognize these subtle signs.
Stimulate brain development
Meanwhile, pre-term babies' developmental delays make it more challenging for feeding compared to full-term infants. To help with this, nurses trained mothers to employ the ATVV intervention before feeding. This involved several steps:
- Eye contact. The mothers were advised to look into their children's eyes throughout the ATVV intervention process.
- Soothing voice. Whether in the form of singing or just talking, mothers used a soothing voice to gently alert the babies.
- Rocking. The mothers rocked the babies in a horizontal motion.
- Massage. The moms gently rubbed their babies' backs, heads and arms.
These steps helped spark the children's alertness, allowing them to more readily feed by mouth, and also contributed to the stimulation of their social development.
The unique role of the nurse
This study not only demonstrates the effectiveness of the H-HOPE program, but it also highlights the unique role of nurses. These professionals, whether in travel nursing or otherwise, are both caregivers and teachers, providing new moms with the tools necessary to aid in childhood development. As such, healthcare professionals must have knowledge on techniques as well as the patience, compassion and nurturing characteristics essential for educating patients.