The first eleven units that participated in the training were included in the evaluation study. The research evaluates both immediate and long-term effects of the Close Collaboration with Parents training program from the perspectives of children, parents, and staff. The first results show a substantial change in care culture toward more family centred care. The follow-up data shows a decrease in maternal depression rates, even up to two years of childs’ age. In addition, the training increases the time that parents are present and holding the infant skin-to-skin.
Research:
The picture above:
Simo Raiskila, MD, PhD
Anna Axelin, RN, Associate Professor
Mirka Toivonen, RN, PhD student
Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth, PhD, Psychologist
Liisa Lehtonen, MD, Professor in Paediatrics
Current research team:
Liisa Lehtonen, Head of the Division of Neonatalogy at Turku University Hospital. Professor in Pediatrics, University of Turku, Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Anna Axelin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Turku, Nursing Science
Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth, Ph.D., University of Turku, Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Mirka Toivonen, Ph.D., University of Turku, Nursing Science
Ryo Itoshima, Doctoral Student, University of Turku, Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
References:
1. Axelin A, Ahlqvist-Björkroth S, Kauppila W, Boukydis Z & Lehtonen L: Nurses’ Perspectives on the Close Collaboration with Parents training program in the NICU. American Journal of Maternal and Child Nursing, 2014; 39(4): 260-8. Available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NMC.0000000000000061
2. Raiskila S, Axelin A, Rapeli S, Vasko I & Lehtonen L. Trends in care practices reflecting parental involvement in neonatal care. Early Human Development 2014; 90:863-67
3. Ahlqvist-Björkroth S, Boukydis Z, Axelin A, Liisa Lehtonen. Close Collaboration with Parents intervention to improve parents’ psychological well-being and child development: Description of the intervention and study protocol. Behavioral Brain Research. 2017: available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2016.10.020
4. Ahlqvist-Björkroth S. Challenges for transition into early parenthood : Prenatal depressive symptoms, marital distress, and premature birth of an infant. Annales Universitatis Turkunesis 2017; B 438 Humaniora
http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-29-6906-7
5. Alhqvist-Björkroth S, Axelin A, Korja R, Lehtonen L: An educational intervention for NICU staff decreased maternal postpartum depression. Pediatric Research 2019; 85(7): 982-986. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0306-y
6. Toivonen M, Lehtonen L, Ahlqvist-Björkroth S, Axelin A: Key factors supporting implementation of a training program for neonatal family-centered care - a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research 2019; 19(1):394. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4256-1
7. Toivonen M, Lehtonen L, Löyttyniemi E, Ahlqvist-Björkroth S, Axelin A: Close Collaboration with Parents intervention improves family-centered care in different neonatal unit contexts: a pre-post study. Pediatric Research 2020; 88(3): 421-428. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-0934-2
8. He F, Axelin A, Ahlqvist-Björkroth S, Raiskila S, Löyttyniemi E, Lehtonen L: Effectiveness of the Close Collaboration with Parents intervention on parent-infant closeness in NICU. BMC Pediatrics 2021; 28. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-02474-2