Effects on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome of Parental Caregivers' Ability to Leave the Postpartum Unit During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Tia Cooney, Ursula Cote, Erin Bergen and 3 others
PMID 37269876WHAT IT FOUND
Restricting parents to the unit during the pandemic reduced NICU transfers for drug treatment, but did not lower withdrawal scores or shorten hospital stays.
The effect may reflect more time for nursing staff to support parents with non-drug care.
Key findings
01The number of neonates transferred to the NICU for drug treatment was significantly lower in the postchange period (11 of 23, 47.8%) than in the prechange period (33 of 44, 75%).
02There was no significant difference in mean withdrawal scores between the prechange group (6.16) and the postchange group (6.18).
03There was no significant difference in the length of stay on the mother-baby unit between the prechange group (3.39 days) and the postchange group (3.26 days).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted at a single center, limiting generalizability. The sample size was small, particularly in the postchange group (n=23). The groups were not randomized; they were different cohorts of neonates and parents from different time periods. Important confounding variables such as nursing staff workload, patient acuity, and staff experience were not measured. Data was extracted from charts, so accuracy could not be verified. There were significant differences in feeding types and substance exposure between the groups, which may have influenced the results.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reduction in NICU transfers as evidence that restricting parental freedom improves NAS outcomes. The study is a retrospective comparison of two different time periods during a pandemic, with significant confounding factors like changes in feeding practices and substance exposure. The authors note that staff workload and patient acuity were not accounted for, and the primary outcomes of withdrawal severity and length of stay showed no significant change.