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. 2024;44(3):316-335.
doi: 10.1080/01942638.2023.2271102. Epub 2023 Oct 22.

A Feasibility Study of a Physical and Occupational Therapy-Led and Parent-Administered Program to Improve Parent Mental Health and Infant Development

Dana B McCarty  1 , Stacey C Dusing  2 , Deborah Thorpe  1 , Morris Weinberger  3 , Susan Pusek  4 , Alana Gilbert  5 , Tianyi Liu  6 , Kerry Blazek  7 , Sara Hammond  7 , T Michael O'Shea  8
Affiliations

A Feasibility Study of a Physical and Occupational Therapy-Led and Parent-Administered Program to Improve Parent Mental Health and Infant Development

Dana B McCarty et al. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2024.

Abstract

Aims: Extremely premature birth puts infants at high risk for developmental delay and results in parent anxiety and depression. The primary objective of this study was to characterize feasibility and acceptability of a therapist-led, parent-administered therapy and massage program designed to support parent mental health and infant development.

Methods: A single cohort of 25 dyads - parents (24 mothers, 1 father) and extremely preterm (<28 wk gestation) infants - participated in the intervention. During hospitalization, parents attended weekly hands-on education sessions with a primary therapist. Parents received bi-weekly developmental support emails for 12 months post-discharge and were scheduled for 2 outpatient follow up visits. We collected measures of parent anxiety, depression, and competence at baseline, hospital discharge, and <4 and 12 months post-discharge.

Results: All feasibility targets were met or exceeded at baseline and discharge (≥70%). Dyads participated in an average of 11 therapy sessions (range, 5-20) during hospitalization. Lower rates of data collection adherence were observed over successive follow ups (range, 40-76%). Parent-rated feasibility and acceptability scores were high at all time points.

Conclusions: Results support parent-rated feasibility and acceptability of the TEMPO intervention for extremely preterm infants and their parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Keywords: Family functioning; NCT04121897; high-risk newborn; infant development; mental health; motor development; premature; service delivery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Enrollment and Retention
*Total Participants indicates the number of parents and infants that participated in at least 1 intervention session after enrollment
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Boxplots of Outcome Measure Change from Baseline to Discharge
AIM=Acceptability of Intervention Measure; FIM=Feasibility of Intervention Measure; PROMIS=Patient Reported Outcome Measure Information System Adult Profile – Short Form Anxiety; CES-D=Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; EPDS=Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); PSOC=Parent Sense of Competence *Bold horizontal lines indicate median value, top of box indicates upper quartile, bottom of box indicates lower quartile, upper end of vertical line indicates maximum value excluding outliers, and lowest end of vertical line indicates minimum value excluding outliers **Dots indicate outliers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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