• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.251-261
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• 2004

Purpose: To investigate the degree and sources of stress which fathers of infants in NICU experience. Method: Eighty-five fathers of NICU infants at 5 university hospitals in Seoul volunteered to complete the Parental Stressor Scale for NICU (PSS: NICU) from September 1, to October 15, 2002. Result: Total perceived stress was 3.50±0.76. The highest score were in Parental Role Alteration (3.76±0.83) and Appearance and Behavior (3.65±1.04). The total perceived stress score (PSS), correlated significantly with method (t=3.50, p=.01), and route (F=5.30, p=.00) of feeding. Light & Sound correlated significantly with birth weight (F=3.39, p=.02), medical diagnosis(F=2.30, p=.03), plan of operation(t=2.50, p=.01), operation (t=3.80, p=.02), method (F=4.90, p=.003), and route (F=4.70, p=.00) of feeding. Infant Appearance and Behavior correlated significantly with birth weight (F=5.12, p=.01), plan of operation (t=2.50, p=.01), method (F=3.50, p=.01), and route (F=7.80, p=.00) of feeding. Parental Role Alteration correlated significantly with care of incubator (t=-.68, p=.03), method of feeding (F=2.80, p=.04) and education level of father (F=3.00, p=.05). Conclusion: Father with NICU infants were concerned mostly with parental role alteration and infant appearance. Nursing intervention should include fathers of NICU infants.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1132-1138
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• 1995

From 1991 to 1994, we experienced 24 cases of neonatal pneumothorax who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit[NICU , Chosun University Hospital. The Following results were obtained.1 The incidence of neonatal pneumothorax was 0.70%, and there were 8 spontaneous pneumothoraces and 16 secondary pneumothoraces. 2 The clinical manifestation of neonatal pneumothorax was as followed. Male infant was dominant[M:F=2:1 , the onset was within 24 hours in the majority[83% , and the right side[62% was more frequent than the left side. The gestation duration and birth weight show no correlation with underlying neonatal pneumothorax. The pulmonary diseases were meconium aspiration syndrome and hyaline membrane disease, and the incidence of those was 58%. Meconium aspiration syndrome occurred earlier than hyaline membrane disease. Symptoms and signs were tachypnea[46% , cyanosis[21% , irritability[13% , chest retraction[8% and apnea[8% .3 The treatments performed were oxygen therapy[17% , thoracentesis[4% and closed thoracostomy with underwater seal drainage[79% . The Mean duration of air leakage was 11.7 hours, and the mean drainage time was 4.35$\pm$1.3day. 4 The overall hospital mortality was 33%, and the rate of complication was 46%. The complications were metabolic acidosis, atelectasis, pleural effusion, pulmonary hemorrhage and pneumonia. We concluded that the prognosis was related to the underlying pulmonary disease.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.252-261
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses' experience in caring for infants who are approaching death and to identity the meaning and structure of their experiences. Methods: The participants were eight nurses who had experience in caring for these infants. In-depth interviews were performed from December, 2012 to February, 2013 until data were fully saturated. Collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Results: Four theme clusters were extracted from fifteen themes. The four theme clusters of the NICU nurses' experience in caring for infants who are dying were: 1) Crossroads between life and comfort of infants approaching death, 2) emotional suffering at the death of the infant, 3) adapting and coping with the death of the infant, 4) new expectations for caring for infants who are dying. Conclusion: The results of the study provide useful information in understanding NICU nurses' experience in caring for infants who are dying and establishing effective strategies to support these nurses.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.779-781
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• 2010

After preliminary tests indicated an increased number of heterotrophic bacteria, we investigated possible sources of contamination in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) water distribution system. Scanning electron microscopic examination of flexible metallic hoses associated with the system revealed the presence of a biofilm; partial 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that the biofilm contained Blastomonas natatoria. Purgation of the water system three times a day, reinforced faucet cleaning, decreasing the cold water temperature to $12^{\circ}C$, and six repeated chlorinations at concentrations as high as 2 mg/l were not sufficient to eradicate the bacterial contamination. Replacing all of the rubber-interior flexible metallic hoses with teflon-lined hoses, followed by heating the water to $70^{\circ}C$, successfully controlled the bacteria.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1468-1476
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• 2004

Purpose: A quasi-experimental study was performed to investigate the effects of a home visiting discharge education program on the maternal self-esteem, attachment, postpartum depression and family function in 35 mothers of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. Methods: Twenty-three mothers in the intervention group received the home visiting discharge education while 12 mothers in the control group received the routine, hospital discharge education. Baseline data was collected in both groups one day after delivery. The intervention group received the home visiting discharge education while the control group did the routine hospital-based discharge education. The questionnaire including the data on maternal self-esteem, attachment, postpartum depression and family function were collected within 1 week after the discharge by mail. Results: The scores of maternal self-esteem, and attachment were significantly increased, and the postpartum depression and the family function score were decreased after the home visiting discharge education in intervention group. There were no changes in these variables before and after the routine hospital-based discharge education in control group. Conclusion: These results support the beneficial effects of home visiting discharge education on the maternal role adaptation and family function of the mothers of NICU infants.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.118-128
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the health concerns of parents regarding their premature infants and to identify changes in these concerns during perinatal period and after discharge. Methods: This was a retrospective study performed at a single tertiary center that enrolled 119 premature infants who were discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and visited the outpatient pediatrics department between December 2018 and October 2021. Data on the concerns of 176 parents regarding enrolled premature infants' health from before birth to 1 week after NICU discharge were obtained from outpatient records. The t test and with the chi-squared test were used to analyze the data for this study. Results: The consistently greatest focus of parents' health concerns was the respiratory system. The second focus of parents' health concerns before discharge was the central nervous system. However, during the first week after NICU discharge, the gastrointestinal system was the second-most frequent focus of parents' health concerns among parents of infants without diseases related to prematurity and infants with older gestational ages. Conclusion: The results of this study offer insights into the health concerns among parents of premature infants. Parental health concerns about premature infants vary over time, from before birth to post-discharge, necessitating supportive interventions to enhance parental understanding of their child's health status.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.44-53
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• 2008

Purpose : Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) caused by adenovirus is a highly contagious disease, which has been reported as outbreaks involving adults in the community. However, there has been no report on EKC outbreak by adenovirus in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Korea. Aims of this study were to investigate the EKC outbreak by adenovirus type 8 in NICU and to confirm an effectiveness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosis. Methods : Conjunctival swab or nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens were taken from all patients and tested by viral culture and PCR. Adenovirus serotype was determined by sequencing of PCR product of selected region of hexon gene using the virus isolates or specimens. Results : An outbreak of EKC occurred which was involving 12 preterm infants in the NICU of the Seoul National University Children's Hospital between July 12th and August 1st, 2005. Three hospital staffs and one family member of the neonate were also affected. Adenovirus was detected in 12/12 (100%), 6/11 (54.5%) by PCR and virus culture, respectively. Eleven PCR-positive neonates were identified as serotype 8 by sequencing. The first affected 4 babies have had routine ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) examinations one week ago. While previous outbreaks were sustained for a few months, the event in our unit was controlled without complications in 3 weeks. Conclusion : We analyzed the EKC outbreak by adenovirus type 8 in NICU. Adenovirus serotype was identified by PCR and sequencing with high sensitivity for the first time in Korea, so we suggest this method can be very useful for rapid diagnosis and infection control.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2002

This study was attempted to help in explore new direction about classification of the severity of the pediatric patients admitted at NICU. Data were collected from 230 patients who admitted at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of 3 University hospitals and 1 General hospital during 7 months period from september 1, 2000 to April 30, 2001. The results were as follows: 1. The degree of severity of the pediatric patients admitted at NICU shown ranged 1-102 and averaged 17.7. 2. With the respect to the severity of the pediatric patients admitted at NICU, there were statistically significant relation in passing day(s) to admission(r=-.153, p=.020), hospital day(s)(r-.501, p=.000), gestational age(r=-.354, p=.000), birth weight(r=-.280, p=.000), Apgar score at 1 min and at 5 min(4=-.340, p=.000; r=-.322, p=.000), present body weight(r=-.151, p=.023). 3. The severity of the pediatric patients according to general characteristics, there were significant difference in admitting day of the patients(t=2.339, p=.020), Apgar score at 1min and 5min(F=7.893, p=.000; t=3.568, p=.001).

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.97-109
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• 2002

This study was conducted to understand the degree and contents of stress which the mothers of high-risk infants can be experienced from the hospitalization of ICU for their new borns, and thus to offer the basic program to he nursing intervention program for these. Subjects were the 171 mother of hospitalized newborn in NICU of 1 University Hospital in Busan from June, 20, 2001 to September, 15, 2001, who agreed to take part in this study. The instruments used in this study were Parental Stressor Scale:NICU(PSS:NICU) developed by Miles et al. The questionnaire has 4 dimensions and 45 items ; sight and sounds of NICU(5 items), babies' appearance and behavior nursing intervention(19 items), parental role alteration and relationship with their baby(10 items), health team communication(11 items). The data was analysed as average, frequency, Standard Deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient by use of SPSS/PC+. The results of this study are as follows ; 1. The total perceived stress level score of mothers of high-risk infants was slightly high(3.44±0.71). The highest scored dimension was 'appearance and behavior of the baby'(4.06±0.80), and next were 'relationship with their baby and parental role change'(3.55±0.98), 'sight and sounds of NICU'(3.22±1.01), 'communication with health team'(2.93±0.91). 2. The total perceived stress level score was significantly correlated with birth weight (F=2.35, p<.05). 3. In sight and sounds of NICU, the perceived stress level score was significantly correlated with nursing in the incubator(t=2.28, p<.05) and birth weight(t=2.26, p<.05). In summary, information about physical environment of NICU, birth weight and nursing in the incubator must be included in nursing intervention program of mother's of high-risk infants in reducing the patents stress level. And, it is suggested that there need to find the coping mechanism of mother of high-risk infants.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.211-219
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• 2010

Purpose: The study was done to measure the effects of maternal heart sound on body weight, physiologic reactions (heart rate [HR] and cortisol) and behavioral states of preterm infants. Methods: Thirty-five preterm infants were recruited from a neonatal intensive care unit at a university hospital. Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent were obtained. The infants were assigned to an experimental group (n=18) with an auditory stimulation for 7 days of life, a continuous delivery of maternal heart sound using MP3 attached inside the incubator, or to a control (n=17) without any auditory stimulation. The outcome variables, daily variations in weight, HR and behavioral states, and differences in cortisol were analyzed. Results: There were differences in variations of daily weights (F=3.431, p=.011) and in cortisol (t=3.184, p=.006) between groups, but no difference in variations of daily HR (F=0.331, p=.933) and behavioral states (F=1.842, p=.323). Conclusion: The findings support the safety of continuous maternal heart sound as no changes in HR and behavioral states occurred, and the efficacy as weight increased and cortisol decreased. This auditory simulation may lead to more efficient utilization of energy in preterm infants by consistently providing familiar sounds from intrauterine life and blocking noxious sounds from NICU environments.