Impact of Picture Book Reading on Preterm Infant Stability, Parental Anxiety, and Parent-Child Attachment

Summary

This study investigates the effects of a parent-child picture book reading intervention on the cardiopulmonary stability of preterm infants, parental anxiety, and parent-child attachment. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and neonatal intermediate care unit in northern Taiwan. A total of 88 preterm infants and their parents will be randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Parents in the intervention group will read picture books to their infants from a corrected gestational age of 28 weeks to 36 weeks and 6 days. Physiological data (heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and heart rate variability) and parental anxiety levels will be assessed at multiple time points. The study aims to determine whether this intervention improves infant stability, reduces parental anxiety, and enhances parent-child attachment, contributing to improved neonatal care practices.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* Preterm Infants:

  1. Born between 28+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation.
  2. Transferred out of the incubator as per medical advice.
  3. Passed the newborn hearing screening in both ears.
* Parents of Preterm Infants:

  1. Able to read and comprehend Chinese-language materials.
  2. Capable of communicating in Mandarin.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Preterm Infants:

  1. Presence of external ear abnormalities.
  2. Receiving sedatives, hypnotics, or caffeine therapy.
* Parents of Preterm Infants:

  1. Having auditory or speech impairments.

Conditions2

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