Abstract
Background Hospitalization with specialized medical care and equipment in neonatal intensive
care unit (NICU) can help preterm infants survive and thrive; negatively it can lead
to separation from the mother with an impact on their growth and behavior. It is critical
to assess the interventions that are more beneficial for their development at this
particular period. The study's objective was to examine the effectiveness of maternal-directed
multisensory stimulation in premature neonates admitted to NICU on neonatal outcomes.
Methods A pilot, quasi-experimental research was designed where 31mother-preterm newborn
dyads were enrolled in the intervention and control group, respectively, using a purposive
sampling technique. The study included medically stable preterm neonates admitted
to NICU between 30 and 36 weeks of gestation weighing 1 to 2.5kg. The preterm in the
study group was given ATVV (Auditory, Tactile, Vestibular, and Visual) stimulation
for 10 days by the mother, whereas the preterm in the comparison group received the
standard treatment. The neonatal outcomes evaluated were weight, physiological parameters,
and behavioral assessment of preterm neonates.
Results Preterm newborns who received the intervention scored significantly better than the
comparison group on the parameters of heart and respiratory rate, blood oxygen levels,
weight, and preterm assessment behavior between the 7th and 10th day of the intervention
that suggests the effectiveness of the intervention in improving these parameters
of preterm newborns.
Conclusion Maternal guidance and participation in the care of a preterm newborn have a beneficial
neonatal outcome in stabilizing the physiological parameters, and improving the weight
and preterm infant behavioral characteristics.
Keywords
maternal directed - preterm - NICU - physiological parameters - outcome - neonate
- behavior
