Effect of coaching program on caring behavior for preventing sudden infant death syndrome in preterm infants’ mothers

Abstract

Background: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is an unexplained death of an apparently healthy newborn. Prematurity is associated with an increased risk of SIDS. Practices designed to promote maternal caring ability to prevent causes associated with SIDS may inadvertently contribute to SIDS prevention.

Objective: The study was aimed to compare the effect of coaching program on caring behavior for preventing SIDS in preterm infants’ mothers.

Methods: The subjects consisted of 50 mothers of healthy preterm infants. They were recruited into the study from September 2017 to April 2018. The recruited in the experimental and control groups, 25 in each groups, were matched for mothers’ age and newborn care experience to control for potential confounding factors. The experiment group participated in 3 sessions of coaching program within 3 days before planned discharge with 2 post-discharge follow-up phone calls while the control group received a routine parents’ preparation for preterm infants prior to hospital discharge. Instruments included the coaching program and parental
guidebook of SIDS risk prevention and the questionnaires of maternal behavior in preventing SIDS and self-confident in preventing SIDS in preterm infant. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and t - test.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the caring behavior for preventing SIDS of the preterm infants’ mothers in the experimental and control groups at posttest (P <0.05).

Conclusion: The coaching intervention was useful to improve the mother’s caring behavior to prevent causes associated with SIDS for preterm infants.