Medicina Neonatal e Pediátrica

Abstrato

Application of Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy (PMP S-E) Questionnaire in a Mid-West Community Medical Center NICU in the United States

Robert Hsiao, Pitetti K and Smith B

Preterm birth and infants’ admission to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) are associated with significant emotional and psychological stresses on mothers that interfere with normal mother-infant relationship. Maternal selfefficacy in parenting ability may predict long-term outcome of mother-infant relationship as well as neurodevelopmental and behavioral development of preterm infants. The Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy (PMP S-E) tool was developed to measure self-efficacy in mothers of premature infants in the United Kingdom. The present study determined if maternal and neonatal characteristics could predict PMP S-E scores of mothers who were administered to in a mid-west community medical center NICU. Mothers whose infants were born less than 37 weeks gestational age and admitted to a level III neonatal intensive care unit participated. Participants completed the PMP S-E and demographic survey prior to discharge. A logistic regression analysis was conducted from PMP SE scores involving 103 dyads using maternal education, race, breast feeding, maternal age, infant’s gestational age, Apgar 5-minute score, birth weight, mode of delivery and time from birth to completion of PMP S-E questionnaire. Time to completion of survey and gestational age were the significant predictors of PMP S-E scores. The finding of this study concerning the utilization of the PMP S-E in a United States mid-west tertiary neonatal center suggest that interpretation of the score requires careful consideration of these two variables.