Commentary on: 'Factors Associated With Developmental Concern and Intent to Access Therapy Following Discharge From the NICU'

摘要

"How should I apply this information?" The authors' findings reinforce the importance of gathering such information as family demographics and maternal status during a history and initial evaluation and using the information for decision making. The instruments used in the study to assess maternal emotional status serve as examples for clinicians wishing to include assessment of maternal depression in the evaluation process. The authors' discussion of the factors associated with developmental concerns, particularly maternal depression, provides insights that may assist therapists in providing family-centered care. Higher levels of maternal education were associated with increased intent to access services. The surprising finding that infant factors of medical severity and brain injury were not associated with developmental concern or intent to access therapy should assist therapists in identifying new strategies for meeting caregiver needs in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and following discharge. Increased infant stress signs were associated with developmental concern, perhaps suggesting that the immediate needs of the caregiver and the infant must be addressed before planning for the future "What should I be mindful about in applying this information?" The authors shared limitations of their study, including that mothers may have thought that they should answer with a positive intent to access services. A recent article presented an administrative case related to instituting parent education practices in the NICU. The authors used evaluation of the existing services and evidence from the literature to develop 3 strategies to enhance parent education on development.