All issues > Volume 51(12); 2008

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;51(12):1315-1319. Published online December 15, 2008.

The effect of rooming-in care on the emotional stability of newborn infants

So Yoon SY Ahn¹, Sun Young SY Ko¹, Kyung Ah KA Kim¹, Yeon Kyung YK Lee¹, Son Moon SM Shin¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Cheil General Hospital and Womens Healthcare Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Seoul, Kore

Correspondence Son Moon SM Shin ,Email: smshinmd@hanmail.net

Abstract

Purpose
: We aimed to examine the effect of rooming-in care on newborn infants emotional stability by comparing them with those cared for in a nursery.
Methods
: Forty-eight full-term newborn infants born at Cheil General Hospital between July 1 and October 31, 2007, were enrolled. Twenty-four newborn infants were roomed-in in their mothers rooms (rooming-in group), and 24 newborns were cared for in the hospital nursery (the nursery group) for the first 3 days of their lives. Those with perinatal problems that required medical treatment were excluded. By using Brazeltons neonatal behavior assessment scale, we measured irritability and self-quieting as well as the duration of crying after heel-stick puncture for the newborn metabolic screening test.
Results
: The rooming-in group had a higher irritability score than the nursery group (6.8¡¾1.7 vs. 4.2¡¾2.1, P<0.001), thereby suggesting stable behavior against external irritation; the former also had a higher self-quieting activity score (5.9¡¾0.3 vs. 4.5¡¾1.8, P=0.001), thereby suggesting that stability was reached quickly from the irritated state. Time taken to stop crying after the heel-stick puncture was significantly shorter in the rooming-in group than in the nursery group (17¡¾15.1 seconds vs. 115.3¡¾98.5 seconds, P<0.001).
Conclusion
: These results show that newborn infants in the rooming-in group exhibit more stable behavior against external irritation and can be stabilized from an irritated state more quickly than infants cared for in the nursery, even after a few days of rooming-in care.

Keywords :Rooming-in care, Affect, Newborn