What to Expect When You’re Expecting … a Preemie

The prospect of having a premature infant can be highly stressful. But a new study found that providing pregnant patients hospitalized for preterm labor with detailed information about what to expect with an early birth significantly reduced their anxiety about the process.

The study found that both printed handouts and a tablet app were associated with a 50% reduction in anxiety and appeared to be equally effective, although the handouts are likely easier to use in the high-stress environment of neonatal intensive care facilities, according to the researchers, who presented the findings April 25 at the 2022 annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, in Denver, Colorado.

Dr Nicole Rau

“When patients get admitted for preterm labor a neonatologist comes to talk to parents about outcomes, short- and long-term, like bleeding in the baby's brain and the possible need to have surgeries,” said Nicole Rau, MD, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, who led the study. “Then parents are asked to make decisions during a high-stress time while they’re still processing everything. Everyone agrees that's really not ideal.”

About one in 10 babies in the United States are born prematurely — or before 37 weeks of gestation — each year. That adds up to about 500,000 per year. Many spend days or weeks in neonatal intensive care units — watched from a distance by their anxious parents desperate for answers and reassurance. Potential complications for infants born prematurely include heart issues, trouble breathing, brain bleeds, and difficulty controlling their body temperature.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have warned that birth parents at risk for premature delivery may not be adequately prepared for what to expect. According to the groups, although clinicians may counsel these patients on admission to the hospital, factors such as stress, pain, and maternal medication can make the message difficult to comprehend.

For the study, Rau and her colleagues divided patients at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin who were hospitalized between 22 and 33 weeks of pregnancy into two groups: Some received a handout on preterm labor, and some were given a bedside tablet with an app called Preemie Prep for Parents.

A total of 76 women were randomized in gestational age blocks of 22-24 weeks and 25-33 weeks. After some opted not to complete the study, 59 participants remained — 32 of whom received handouts, and 27 who had access to tablets.

After distributing the materials, Rao’s group gave patients a questionnaire asking about delivery resuscitation, short-term problems, long-term problems, treatments, length of stay, and miscellaneous questions about their care. The two groups performed similarly — the tablet group’s median score was 20/30, and the handout group’s median score was 22/30.

Using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, researchers found both groups experienced a 50% reduction in anxiety after learning more from their respective materials.

Rau said she and her colleagues expected patients with access to the app would perform better based on cognition studies that have shown multimedia tools are more effective than tools that use visual or audio information but not both. However, both groups seemed to benefit comparably, which she said may reflect underuse of the app.

What was clear, though, is that patients absorbed more information and felt better prepared when they received it in ways beyond verbal communication.

“Well-written, parent-friendly information is a great tool to supplement counseling,” Rau told Medscape Medical News.

Because preterm labor is a relatively common occurrence, expectant parents should be well-prepared with proper information, said Erika Werner, MD, chair of obstetrics & gynecology at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, who was not involved in the study.

“Preterm labor is something that's way more common than people think,” Werner told Medscape. “As long as it’s coming from a trusted source, additional information is a good thing. Knowing in advance some of the things that might be different from what you expect is always important. The more that we as providers have time to educate patients about potential risks, the better the outcomes will be.”

The authors reported no relevant financial conflicts of interest. The study was supported by grants from Children’s Research Institute and AMAG Pharmaceuticals.

Pediatric Academic Societies 2022. “Handout or Tablet to supplement counseling during preterm birth hospitalization- Randomized Controlled Trial.” Presented April 25, 2022.

Lindsay Kalter is a freelance health journalist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with bylines in publications including The Washington Post, Business Insider, and Boston Globe Magazine.

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Medscape Medical News © 2022 

Cite this: What to Expect When You’re Expecting … a Preemie - Medscape - Apr 26, 2022.