Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Health Sciences

.: ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Comparing Parents' Experiences of Contact with Their Preterm Infants in NICUs in Türkiye Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study
COVID-19 Pandemisinde Yenidoğan Yoğun Bakım Ünitesinde Prematüre Bebeği Yatan Ebeveynlerin Deneyimlerinin Pandemi Öncesi ve Sonrası ile Karşılaştırılması: Kesitsel Çalışma
İlknur OKAYa , Pırıl OKAYb , Remziye KESKİNa , İdil ARASAN DOĞANa
aÜsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, İstanbul, Türkiye
bKoç University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Türkiye
Turkiye Klinikleri J Health Sci. 2025;10(1):52-60
doi: 10.5336/healthsci.2024-104868
Article Language: EN
Full Text
ABSTRACT
 Objective: This study aims to compare parents' experiences of family-centred developmental care with their preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Türkiye before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic's ''Normalization Period'' (July 2021). Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of preterm infants who received care in NICUs across Türkiye. Participants were recruited via social media, parent support groups, and NICU referrals. Data were collected through a 61-item online questionnaire. Parental visitation frequency and duration, timing of first physical contact, permission and timing for kangaroo mother care (KMC), and parental involvement in infant care were compared across the three periods. Statistical significance was assessed using chi-square tests. Results: A total of 688 parents participated. Only 9.1% could visit their infants as frequently as they wished, 16.3% could touch their infants within the first day, and 4.8% could perform KMC within the first day. During the pandemic, visitation, physical contact, and KMC rates significantly declined. After the Normalization Period, the percentage of parents unable to visit, touch, or perform KMC returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, the proportion of parents who could visit without restrictions, touch their baby within the first day, and frequently perform KMC remained at pandemic levels. Conclusion: While some aspects of parental contact in NICUs recovered after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, full restoration to pre-pandemic levels was not achieved. This highlights the need for policies ensuring unrestricted parental involvement in NICUs to promote optimal infant development and family-centered care.

Keywords: Premature birth; COVID-19; neonatal intensive care unit; kangaroo mother care; family-centered developmental care
ÖZET
 Amaç: Bu çalışma, Türkiye'de koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 (COVID-19) pandemisinden önce, pandemi sırasında ve Temmuz 2021'de ilan edilen ''Normalleşme Dönemi'' sonrasında prematüre bebek ebeveynlerinin yenidoğan yoğun bakım ünitelerinde (YYBÜ) aile merkezli gelişimsel bakım deneyimlerini karşılaştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Türkiye genelindeki YYBÜ'lerde tedavi gören prematüre bebeklerin ebeveynlerini içeren kesitsel bir çalışma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Katılımcılar sosyal medya, ebeveyn destek grupları ve YYBÜ yönlendirmeleri yoluyla çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Veriler, 61 sorudan oluşan çevrim içi bir anket ile toplanmıştır. Ebeveyn ziyaret sıklığı ve süresi, bebekle ilk fiziksel temas zamanı, kanguru anne bakımı (KAB) yapma izni ve süresi ile ebeveynlerin bakım sürecine katılımı üç dönem arasında karşılaştırılmıştır. İstatistiksel anlamlılık ki-kare testleri ile değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışmaya toplam 688 ebeveyn katılmıştır. Katılımcıların yalnızca %9,1'i bebeklerini istedikleri sıklıkta ziyaret edebilmiş, %16,3'ü ilk gün içinde bebeklerine dokunabilmiş ve %4,8'i ilk gün içinde KAB uygulayabilmiştir. Pandemi sırasında ziyaret sıklığı, fiziksel temas ve KAB oranları anlamlı şekilde azalmıştır. Normalleşme Dönemi sonrasında, bebeklerini ziyaret edemeyen, dokunamayan veya KAB yapamayan ebeveynlerin oranı pandemi öncesindeki seviyelere dönmüştür. Ancak, bebeklerini kısıtlama olmaksızın ziyaret edebilen, ilk gün içinde dokunabilen ve sık KAB uygulayabilen ebeveynlerin oranı pandemideki seviyelerde kalmıştır. Sonuç: COVID-19 kısıtlamalarının kaldırılmasının ardından YYBÜ'lerde ebeveyn temasının bazı yönleri iyileşmiş olsa da, pandemi öncesi seviyelere tam dönüş sağlanamamıştır. Bu durum, prematüre bebeklerin optimal gelişimini desteklemek ve aile merkezli bakımın sürekliliğini sağlamak için ebeveynlerin YYBÜ'lerde kesintisiz katılımını garanti eden politikaların gerekliliğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Prematüre doğum; COVID-19; yenidoğan yoğun bakım ünitesi; kanguru anne bakımı; aile merkezli gelişimsel bakım
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