PURPOSE
The study was done to explore growth variation in head circumference (HC) in extremely premature infants (EPI) with brain injury.
METHODS
A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 79 cohort samples from the archives of the catch-up growth project. Mean age of the infants was 29.2 weeks of gestation and mean HC, 27.1 cm at birth. Their HC measurements were retrieved from the archives up to 6 month of corrected age (CA) and analyzed against history of brain injury during hospitalization.
RESULTS
Overall growth retardation in HC was observed in the cohort sample compared to longer gestation premature infants. EPI with brain injury showed decreased HC compared to infants without brain injury, and resulting growth variation across 6 month of CA. Highest retardation in HC growth was observed in male infants with brain injury.
CONCLUSION
Extreme preterm birth itself may function as a major obstacle against HC growth toward term age in EPI. Sustainability of brain injury could be observed with higher HC growth retardation after term. Evolutionary favor to female infants may exist in HC growth of EPI. Intensive education on HC monitoring is highly suggested for parents of EPI, particularly with children with brain injury.

Citations

• Effects of Direct Practice of Newborn Health Assessment on Students’ Nursing Clinical Competence and Self-Efficacy
  Seol Hui Park, Se Ang Ryu
  Child Health Nursing Research.2016; 22(2): 117.     CrossRef
• Growth of Korean preterm infants in a family‐centered tradition during early infancy: The influence of health risks, maternal employment, and the sex of infants
  Youngmee Ahn, Min Sohn, Sangmi Lee
  Japan Journal of Nursing Science.2014; 11(4): 281.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of the integrated NICU hospitalization education on maternal attachment, maternal self-esteem, and EPDS in the 26 mothers of high-risk infants(HRI).
METHOD
The subjects were divided into the experimental group to received the integrated NICU hospitalization education included the enforced direct education of NICU and HRI to the mothers using a booklet and the provision of the neomaternal exposure as soon as possible after delivery. The control group received the routine education of the NICU hospitalization, mostly including the admission process and the NICU rules delivering to the husband. The research variables were maternal attachment, maternal self-esteem, and EPDS.
RESULTS
The results showed the increases in these variables after the integrated education in experimental group compared to the control group.
CONCLUSION
It supports the benefits of the early direct NICU education and the neomaternal exposures on maternal adaptation process in the mothers of HRI.