The effects length of hospitalization in neonatal therapy has on interactions between mother and high-risk baby

Abstract

High-risk babies require special cares regardless of their gestational age or birth weight. Due to this, the first mother-baby interactions will be developed in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Preliminary results of an investigation are presented, and for this study an Observational Scale of the bond between mother and baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was applied for the purpose of describing these mother-baby interactions. The sample was composed of 36 pairs, reaching a total of 166 observations which were classified according to the observational scale score (Appropriate, Slightly Appropriate, Not Appropriate), which was correlated to the length of time the babies stayed in the neonatal therapy in order to investigate whether there was an association between these variables. Understanding how interactions occur during hospitalization will allow early detection of bonding difficulties and the prevention of infant disorders.

Keywords:
Mother-child relations; Child health services; Length of stay