Enhancing Sensory Experiences for Infants Born Preterm: A Quality Improvement Project.
Kate N de Castro Mehrkens, Elena V Donoso Brown
PMID 39822193WHAT IT FOUND
Infants receiving the full recommended tactile input rose from 10.16% to 43% after staff education and modeling.
Parental presence and sensory minutes also increased, though the study cannot confirm which specific actions caused the change.
Key findings
01The percentage of infants receiving the full recommended amount of tactile sensory input increased from 10.16% in baseline to 43% in the maintenance phase.
02Average positive sensory input from parents per day rose from 43.88 minutes at baseline to 92.7 minutes in the maintenance phase.
03Daytime nurses provided positive tactile input 6 times during the intervention phase and 21 times during the maintenance phase.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only infants with parents present during weekday OT hours were recruited, potentially overestimating adherence rates for the general NICU population. Data collection was limited to tactile input, so adequacy of other sensory experiences is unknown. The occupational therapist both delivered the intervention and collected data, introducing potential bias. Nurses knew the project was taking place, which may have influenced their behavior. Infants in phase 3 were on average 2 weeks older than those in phase 1, which could explain some increases in parental and staff comfort with providing tactile input. The study did not control for other concurrent interventions or changes in medical status over time.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that nurse education alone caused the increase in tactile input. The infants in the final phase were older on average, and parents were present more often, both of which could independently increase sensory delivery without the intervention.