TY - JOUR
T1 - Parent Engagement Correlates with Parent and Preterm Infant Oxytocin Release during Skin-to-Skin Contact
AU - Vittner, Dorothy
AU - Butler, Samantha
AU - Smith, Kelsey
AU - Makris, Nefeli
AU - Brownell, Elizabeth
AU - Samra, Haifa
AU - McGrath, Jacqueline
N1 - Funding Information:
Author Affiliations: School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs (Drs Vittner and Ms Makris); School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas (Dr. McGrath) Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford (Drs Vittner and Brownell and Ms Smith); Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Butler); Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Butler); and School of Nursing, South Dakota State University, Brookings (Dr Samra). This study was supported with funding from the American Nurses Foundation (Eastern Nursing Research Society), National Association of Neonatal Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International (Mu Chapter), and the University of Connecticut, School of Nursing (Toner funds). There are no financial relationships with commercial entities or conflicts of interest to disclose. Correspondence: Dorothy Vittner, PhD, RN, CHPE, 71 Coleman Rd, Wethersfield, CT 06109 (dorothy.vittner@uconn.edu).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 by The National Association of Neonatal Nurses.
PY - 2019/2/1
Y1 - 2019/2/1
N2 - Background: Preterm infants remain increasingly neurodevelopmentally disadvantaged. Parental touch, especially during skin-to-skin contact (SSC), has potential to reduce adverse consequences. Purpose: To examine relationships between parental engagement and salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels for parents participating in SSC intervention. Methods: A randomized crossover design study was conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit; 28 stable preterm infants, mothers, and fathers participated. Parental engagement was measured using the Parental Risk Evaluation Engagement Model Instrument (PREEMI) prior to hospital discharge. Saliva samples for oxytocin and cortisol levels were collected 15-minute pre-SSC, 60-minute during-SSC, and 45-minute post-SSC. Results: Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation to measure relationships between parental engagement composite scores and salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels. A significant negative correlation between paternal engagement and paternal oxytocin levels (r = -0.43; P =.03) and a significant negative correlation between infant oxytocin levels and maternal engagement (r = -0.54; P =.004) were present. Adjusted linear regression models demonstrated that as infant oxytocin levels increased during SSC, maternal engagement scores significantly decreased at discharge (β = -.04; P =.01). Linear regression, adjusting for infant oxytocin and cortisol levels, showed that as paternal oxytocin levels increased, there was a significant decrease in paternal engagement (β = -.16; P =.03) and as paternal cortisol levels increased, there was a significant decrease in paternal engagement (β = -68.97; P =.05). Implications for Practice: Significant relationships exist between parental engagement and salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels. Defining parent engagement facilitates identification of parent risks and needs for intervention to optimize preterm outcomes. Implications for Research: The PREEMI can serve as a standardized instrument to examine parent engagement.
AB - Background: Preterm infants remain increasingly neurodevelopmentally disadvantaged. Parental touch, especially during skin-to-skin contact (SSC), has potential to reduce adverse consequences. Purpose: To examine relationships between parental engagement and salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels for parents participating in SSC intervention. Methods: A randomized crossover design study was conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit; 28 stable preterm infants, mothers, and fathers participated. Parental engagement was measured using the Parental Risk Evaluation Engagement Model Instrument (PREEMI) prior to hospital discharge. Saliva samples for oxytocin and cortisol levels were collected 15-minute pre-SSC, 60-minute during-SSC, and 45-minute post-SSC. Results: Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation to measure relationships between parental engagement composite scores and salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels. A significant negative correlation between paternal engagement and paternal oxytocin levels (r = -0.43; P =.03) and a significant negative correlation between infant oxytocin levels and maternal engagement (r = -0.54; P =.004) were present. Adjusted linear regression models demonstrated that as infant oxytocin levels increased during SSC, maternal engagement scores significantly decreased at discharge (β = -.04; P =.01). Linear regression, adjusting for infant oxytocin and cortisol levels, showed that as paternal oxytocin levels increased, there was a significant decrease in paternal engagement (β = -.16; P =.03) and as paternal cortisol levels increased, there was a significant decrease in paternal engagement (β = -68.97; P =.05). Implications for Practice: Significant relationships exist between parental engagement and salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels. Defining parent engagement facilitates identification of parent risks and needs for intervention to optimize preterm outcomes. Implications for Research: The PREEMI can serve as a standardized instrument to examine parent engagement.
KW - PREEMI
KW - oxytocin
KW - parental engagement
KW - preterm infant
KW - skin-to-skin contact
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85060381560&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/ANC.0000000000000558
DO - 10.1097/ANC.0000000000000558
M3 - Article
C2 - 30335622
AN - SCOPUS:85060381560
SN - 1536-0903
VL - 19
SP - 73
EP - 79
JO - Advances in Neonatal Care
JF - Advances in Neonatal Care
IS - 1
ER -