Postpartum Health Services Requested by Mothers with Newborns Receiving Intensive Care
- PDF / 367,939 Bytes
- 7 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 84 Downloads / 156 Views
Postpartum Health Services Requested by Mothers with Newborns Receiving Intensive Care Sarah Verbiest1,2 • Erin McClain1 • Alison Stuebe1,3 • M. Kathryn Menard1,3
Published online: 29 June 2016 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
Abstract Objectives Our pilot study aimed to build knowledge of the postpartum health needs of mothers with infants in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU). Methods Between May 2008 and December 2009, a Certified Nurse Midwife was available during workday hours to provide health care services to mothers visiting their infants in the NICU at a large tertiary care center. Results A total of 424 health service encounters were recorded. Maternal requests for services covered a wide variety of needs, with primary care being the most common. Key health concerns included blood pressure monitoring, colds, coughs, sore throats, insomnia and migraines. Mothers also expressed a need for mental health assessment and support, obstetric care, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, tobacco cessation, breastfeeding assistance, postpartum visits, and provision of contraception. Conclusions Our study suggests that mothers with babies in the NICU have a host of health needs. We also found that women were receptive to receiving health services in a critical care pediatric setting. Intensive care nurseries could feasibly partner with in-patient mother–baby units and/or on-site obstetric clinics to increase access to health care for the mothers of the high& Sarah Verbiest [email protected] 1
Center for Maternal and Infant Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7181, Room 3018 Old Clinic Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7181, USA
2
School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 3550, 325 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550, USA
3
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Campus Box 7516, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7516, USA
risk newborns in their units. Modifications should be made within health care systems that serve high-risk infants to better address the many needs of the mother/baby dyad in the postpartum period. Keywords Postpartum visit Postpartum health care services Neonatal intensive care unit High-risk population Maternal health
Significance The early postpartum period is challenging for most new mothers. For mothers with a hospitalized infant, the challenges may be amplified. For this group of mothers, effective postpartum and interconception care has the potential to improve maternal health, pregnancy spacing, infant care, and future birth outcomes. However, more information is needed about the health needs and health-seeking behaviors of at-risk mothers of medically fragile infants. Our study contributes to this research need and demonstrates a potential system-based solution.
Background The postpartum period is often a stressful time for new mothers. In addition to learning how to care for their new infants
Data Loading...
