• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.211-217
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to trace the development of premature babies who had undergone neurodevelopmental treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit and to identify the effects of early neurodevelopmental treatment on the development of premature babies. Methods: Fifty-one premature babies, who had been hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit and received an infant motor performance test and Bayley scales-III evaluation of their developments during the six months of corrected age were included. They were divided into three groups: the intervention group (n=16), control group (n=23), and comparison group (n=12), depending on the risk of developmental delays and the existence of an intervention. The results of this study were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 for windows. The statistical significance level was set at ${\alpha}=0.05$. Results: Regarding the infant motor performance test scores for each group before the intervention, at two weeks after the start of intervention, and at post-conception of 40 weeks, the intervention group showed a significantly higher improvement than the control or comparison group (p<0.01). With respect to the Bayley scales-III at the corrected age of six months, the intervention group exhibited statistically significant differences from the control group in the domains of language and fine movements (p<0.01). Conclusion: The findings of this study could confirm that the early neurodevelopmental treatment of premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit has continuous effects on the development of premature babies even after being discharged from the hospital.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.510-519
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• 2006

Purpose: To develop and validate a scale suitable and efficient scale for use in clinical practice as to assess pain in premature infants. Method: Pain indicators identified by observation of preform infants. A cohort of preform infants was studied prospectively to determine the construct validity, inter-rater reliability, and internal consistency of the scale. The PIPS uses four indicators of pain: corrected gestational age, heart rate, oxygen saturation, behavioral state. The validation study included 45 premature infants with gestational age of 37 weeks or less. Results: The inter-rater reliability of the PIPS was acceptable, with Pearson correlations ranging from.720 to.970. Internal consistency was high: Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from.551 to.653. There was a strong correlation between the PIPS and PIPP scores (each researcher's r=.743, each indicator's r=.914). Although gestational age showed no association between these factors and the sum, the other variables were positively associated with the sum. Time needed to calculate PIPS scores is was less than Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) scores(p<.000). Conclusion: The validation data suggest that the PIPS is appropriate and efficient for assessing pain in premature infants. Further studies are required about to determine appropriate interventions for each pain score on the PIPS.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.297-307
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• 2021

Purpose: This descriptive study compared the perceived parental stress levels between parents with very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) and nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: In total, 83 parents of VLBWIs and 78 NICU nurses were enrolled. Data were collected with the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) and analyzed using the t-test and analysis of variance in SAS version 9.4. Results: The average PSS score was 3.31 among parents and 3.45 among nurses. The stress score was significantly higher among nurses with children (t=2.46, p=.016) and senior nurses (t=2.12, p=.037). There was a significant difference in the stress score according to parents' education (t=3.29, p=.002) and occupation (F=3.14, p=.049) in the sights and sounds subscale. Mothers had significantly higher stress scores than fathers in the parental role alterations subscale (t=2.32, p=.023). Parental stress scores were higher than those perceived by nurses in the infant's appearance and behaviors subscale for breathing patterns (t=2.95, p=.004), followed by jerky/ restless behavior (t=2.70, p=.008). Conclusion: Nurses should provide explanations to parents of VLBWIs in order to reduce parental stress about the appearances and behavior of VLBWIs. This is more important than aspect of the NICU environment and education about parental roles.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.66-71
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• 2018

Purpose: Respiratory morbidity is the most common problem among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units. Therefore, the aim of this study was to make a differential diagnosis between transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and pneumonia through comparison of clinical features and test results. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 86 infants with TTN, RDS, or pneumonia. These were infants who had respiratory distress, were born after ${\geq}34$ weeks of gestation, and transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit of Kosin University Gospel Hospital between June 1, 2011 and June 30, 2016. Results: The numbers (percentage) of infants with TTN, RDS, and pneumonia were 51 (59.3%), 20 (23.3%), and 15 (17.4%), respectively. Late-preterm and early-term newborns accounted for 65.1% of the infants. Tachypnea was observed in 74.4% of the neonates. The median age at admission was 4 hours (0 to 116) after birth. The infants with RDS had significantly lower birth weights, pH levels, base excess and oxygen saturation levels at admission, longer duration of total ventilator therapy, and hospital stay than those in the other two groups. The infants with pneumonia showed significantly high initial high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and significant chest radiographic findings. Conclusion: Early differential diagnosis for TTN, RDS, and pneumonia is challenging because they show similar respiratory symptoms at an early stage. Clinical features and test results can be used to determine the etiology of respiratory distress and early antibiotic treatment.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.136-144
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• 2014

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to identify the perceived nursing needs and the differences by general characteristics of parents of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and to provide useful evidences developing a new intervention for family-centered care in NICU. Methods: A convenience sample of 121 parents of infants in NICU was used and the participants asked to complete the Korean version of NICU Family Needs Inventory (NFNI) from April to May, 2014. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA. Results: The participants reported high average score in the perceived nursing needs. In subscales, needs for assurance rated highest score and needs for information, proximity, support, and comfort were followed. Mothers reported higher nursing needs score than fathers except the subscale of support. Conclusion: The findings suggest that nurses in NICU actively provide information about treatment, nursing, results of laboratory tests, and current status to give reassurance to parents. Not only providing informational support of parents of NICU infants, but also finding methods to contact to parents is necessary. In addition, nurses need to provide optimized intervention in current healthcare system and hospital environment.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.698-701
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• 2007

We report on two premature infants who developed nosocomial infection caused by Chryseobacterium meningosepticum in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). One premature infant developed sepsis, meningitis, and hydrocephalus, and was treated successfully with ciprofloxacin plus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole combination therapy for 4 weeks and with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The other premature infant, who was in a chronically debilitated state, had infection that had colonized only in the respiratory tract but had no clinical signs for 66 days. Extensive environmental surveillance demonstrated that the suction bottle apparatus was the source of infection. We prevented the spread of infection by closing the NICU temporarily, isolating the patients early in their infection, and eradicating the source of infection source.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.142-153
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• 2022

Purpose: Preventing missed care is important in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) due to neonates' vulnerabilities. This study examined missed care and its influencing factors among NICU nurses. Methods: Missed care among 120 Korean NICU nurses was measured using a cross-culturally adapted online questionnaire. The frequency of missed care for 32 nursing activities and the significance of 23 reasons for missed care were collected. Results: All participants had missed at least 1 activity, missing on average 19.35 activities during a typical work-day. The most common missed item was "provide developmental care for the baby". The most common reason for missed care was "emergency within the unit or deterioration of one of the assigned patients". The final regression model explained 9.6% of variance in missed care. The average daily number of assigned patients receiving inotropes or sedation over the last month influenced the total number of missed care items. Conclusion: Missed care was affected by nurses' workload related to the number of patients taking medication. Frequently missed activities, especially those related to developmental care, require patience and time, conflicting with safety prioritization and inadequate working conditions. NICU nurses' working conditions should be improved to ensure adequate time for nursing activities.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.376-384
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the influence of a breastfeeding coaching program (BCP) for mothers of late preterm infants (LPIs) on the breastfeeding rate and neonatal morbidity within 1 month after discharge. Methods: This was a non-randomized quasi-experimental study with a time series design. The participants were 40 LPIs and their mothers who were hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit at a university hospital. Nineteen LPIs were assigned to the control group, and 21 to the experimental group. The mothers of the LPIs in the experimental group received the BCP once on the discharge day and then once a week for 1 month. Neonatal morbidity was defined as an outpatient department or emergency room visit due to an LPI's health problem. Results: The breastfeeding rate in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group at the fourth week after discharge (χ²=7.17, p=.028). Five and two LPIs in the control group and the experimental group, respectively, visited a hospital due to neonatal jaundice. Neonatal morbidity was not significantly different between the two groups (χ²=1.95, p=.164). Conclusion: The BCP was useful for improving the breastfeeding rates of LPIs and may have potential to reduce neonatal morbidity.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.851-855
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• 2009

Death is not only a medical problem; it is also an ethical problem. When doctors face a dying neonate, their knowledge of bioethics and the opinions of ethical specialists and religious leaders are helpful for them and the family of the dying baby. In recent years, due to the increase of surviving babies who have suffered from severe illness, those born too small or too early, and those with severe anomalies in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), we have met with complicated bioethical problems frequently. To lessen the burdens of doctors and the parents of the dying baby, I reviewed medical, ethical and religious articles about bioethics in adult death. My suggestions are listed as follows: 1) regular bioethical education and activation of bioethical committees in NICU, 2) a well-controlled nationwide database, 3) a hospice unit space and programs for dying baby in NICU, and 4) social support for pregnant women and financial support for the NICU.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome after changes in the treatment strategies for very low birth weight infant (VLBWI) in a single neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) center. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 300 VLBWI born from 1st January 2010 to 31th December 2016. We compared the outcomes including survival rate, birth weight (BW), gestational age (GA), and morbidities between period I (2010-2013, P-I) and period II (2014-2016, P-II). Results: The average survival rate was not different between P-I and P-II. However, the survival rate of ${\leq}24$ weeks' GA, 25 weeks' GA, 26 weeks' GA were 57%, 69%, 93% respectively in P-II and 31%, 59%, 87% in P-I respectively. The survival rate of infants with birth weight <500 g, 500-749 g, 750-999 g were 100%, 55%, 90% respectively in P- II and 50%, 24%, 80%, respectively in P-I. The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was higher in P-II than in P-I (P=0.012) and moderate-to-severe BPD was also higher in P-II (P=0.004). Incidence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with treatment, necrotizing enterocolitis (stage ${\geq}2$), and abnormal brain sonography were significantly lower in P-II (P=0.027, P=0.032, P=0.005). Incidences of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) with laser treatment and early sepsis were not different. Conclusion: The survival rate and complications of VLBWI were improved in period II, especially in less than 750 g and below 26 weeks, except incidence of BPD. Changes of NICU strategies were effective to improve mortality and morbidity in VLBWI.