Background:In neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), neonatal sleep is disrupted due to different factors. Due to the critical role of sleep in premature infants’ brain development, this study aimed to investigate the effect of nesting and swaddling on the sleep duration of premature infants hospitalized in NICUs.Materials and Methods:In a crossover clinical trial, 42 preterm infants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. They were randomly assigned to two groups of nest-swaddle and swaddle-nest. Sleep status was evaluated by observation and use of Prechtl's criteria. Then, durations of total sleep time (TST) and quiet sleep time (QST) were recorded. Data were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results:Mean values of TST and QST during nesting and also swaddling periods were significantly higher than in the control period in both groups (P < 0.001). Mean values of TST and QST in the swaddling period were higher than in the nesting period in both groups, However, these differences were not significant (P = 0.245).Conclusions:Both swaddling and nesting could significantly increase the duration of TST and QST, compared to the control. There were no significant differences between the effects of these interventions on TST and QST. Therefore, using any of these methods is suggested to improve infants’ quality of sleep in NICU, with respect to the ward policies.

Background:Parent–infant attachment is an important factor in accepting parenting role, accelerating infant survival, and adjusting to the environment outside the uterus. Since family supportive interventions can strengthen the parent–infant caring relationship, this study sought to investigate the relationship between mother–infant attachment and satisfaction of the mothers with the supportive nursing care received in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Materials and Methods:In this descriptive–correlational study, 210 mothers with premature infants who were hospitalized in the NICUs affiliated to Isfahan Medical University hospitals took part. The data were collected via Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale and researcher's self-tailored questionnaire based on Nurse Parent Support Tool. Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the collected data.Results:The results showed that the overall score of mother–infant attachment and the overall score of maternal satisfaction correlated with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.195. Also, the overall score of mother–infant attachment and mothers’ satisfaction scores in the emotional, communicative-informative, and self-confidence domains correlated with correlation coefficients of r = 0.182, r = 0.0.189, and r = 0.0.304, respectively. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that about 15% of changes in the dependent variable (mother–infant attachment) could be explained by different dimensions of mothers’ satisfaction.Conclusions:The results of the study showed that mother–infant attachment improved by increasing mothers’ satisfaction of supportive nursing care. Therefore, it seems necessary to increase maternal satisfaction through given nursing care support, in order to promote mother–infant attachment.

Background and Aims. With technological advances in NICUs the survival rate of preterm infants has been increased. Because NICU environment is a potent source of stress for infants, its modification is an essential measure to decrease infants' morbidity. The purposes of this study were to compare the effects of wearing earmuff and provision silence for infants on their motor responses and gaining weight. Methods. In a randomized clinical trial 96 preterm infants were enrolled. Their motor responses were evaluated for two consecutive days in the morning and afternoon shifts, in the groups of earmuff and silence, and at similar time points in the control group. Also their weight was measured at days 1 and 10. Results. In the two intervention groups, means of motor responses in infants were significantly less than in the control group, and weight gain of infants was more than the control group. However weight gain was more pronounced in the earmuff group. Conclusion. Both interventions led to decreasing number of motor responses and improvement of weight gain pattern, but these effects were more pronounced in earmuff group; thus because implementation of silence in NICUs has many barriers, it is suggested to use earmuff for preterm infants in these units. This trial obtained IRCT registration number IRCT2012092010812N2.

BackgroundChronic renal failure (CRF) causes a gradual decline in kidney function to the extent that CRF patients need long-term clinical care, which affects the patients’ family function and quality of life (QoL).ObjectivesThe present study was conducted to study the effects of the family-centered empowerment model on QoL in children with CRF during 2012-2013.Patients and MethodsIn this quasi-experimental study, 68 children with CRF and their parents were randomly assigned to two groups, intervention and control, via a random numbers table. An empowerment program was then conducted over the course of seven 45-minute sessions, and a questionnaire to ascertain demographic characteristics and the core pediatric QoL Inventory (version 4) were administered to both groups before the sessions and one month after the last training session. The data were analyzed using SPSS 20.ResultsThe mean age of the children was 10.2 and 10.5 years in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The duration of the disease was five years in both groups. Furthermore, a significant difference was seen in the mean score of the children’s QoL from their own perspectives in the physical and psychosocial domains and the total QoL score in the intervention group before and after the training (P < 0.05).ConclusionsSince family-centered empowerment interventions can determine the training- and treatment-related needs of patients and are low cost and effective, they may help parents promote their children’s self-efficacy and QoL.

The median age of puberty onset is 10.14 years, and the onset of puberty before 7.5 years is considered as precocious puberty in a representative sample of Iranian girls. The values obtained from the present study can provide baseline data for analysis of time trends, as well as for international comparisons.