Delivery room routines and initial assessment and treatment for infants born at 32 to 35 weeks of gestation.: A multicentre pilot study comparing three different hospitals

• Main Author: Kristoffersen, Laila Marie
• Other Authors: Tegnander, Eva, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Det medisinske fakultet, Institutt for laboratoriemedisin, barne- og kvinnesykdommer
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Det medisinske fakultet, Institutt for laboratoriemedisin, barne- og kvinnesykdommer 2011
• Subjects: Norway; Vestfold; North Norway
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11250/263955

Objective: To compare routines and results regarding immediate postnatal treatment of preterm infants between three hospitals prior to the introduction of Kangaroo Care in the delivery room in order to ensure comparable baseline data for a study group and a control group for a future study. To compare infants delivered vaginally with infants delivered by caesarean section. Methods: This was a descriptive multicentre pilot study using retrospective data from medical records at St. Olavs Hospital, Vestfold Hospital and University Hospital of North Norway. Inclusion criteria were infants born at 32 to 35 weeks of gestation in a stable condition right after birth. Primary outcomes were hypoglycaemia, hypothermia and feeding routines. Results: A total of 63 preterm infants were included. The incidences of the primary outcomes were comparable between the infants delivered vaginally, but not between those delivered vaginally and those delivered by caesarean section. Procedures regarding feeding and blood glucose measurements were different in different hospitals, but not significant. Conclusion: The pilot study was helpful in discriminating between infants eligible for a future study where infants using Kangaroo Care will be compared to infants immediately transferred to an NICU after delivery. The data also revealed procedures that need to be revised. These are important adjustments that may influence the success of the future study.