The Perinatal Section for this issue of Selected Topics for the Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing encompasses 3 diverse articles. Two are reviews: one an integrative review and the other a systematic review. The third article illustrates a successful collaborative practice model in the advanced practice of midwifery.
Perdion et al describe a midwife-led in-hospital birth center within an academic medical center complex. The article focuses on the challenges and successes the authors experienced upon final implementation of this collaborative model. It illustrates that through persistence and flexibility, a collaborative model of practice can flourish and have positive downstream influences for both pregnant women and healthcare providers.
Hanson and VandeVusse present an integrative review on perinatal outcomes of prenatal probiotic and prebiotic administration. Nine maternal and 5 neonatal categories emerged from the review encompassing the years 1990-2011. Selected findings are noted, and further research recommendations are specified.
A systematic review by Kraljevic and Warnock completes the perinatal section. They reviewed early educational and behavioral interventions from randomized controlled trials that focused on reducing maternal symptoms of psychological trauma following preterm birth. From the review, it is noted that there is evidence that mothers of very preterm infants of low-birth-weight experience major depression for up to 12 months following preterm birth. Some interventions had a small, moderate effect in reducing maternal depression-anxiety and parenting stress for up to 2 and 12 months, respectively.
The neonatal articles in this issue are on current and relevant topics. Three of the articles are research reports, and 1 article is a systematic literature review-a deviation from the norm, but all of the articles relate to and provide scientific information that supports neonatal nursing care.
The CE article, by Drs Patricia Thomas and Judy LeFlore, reports on an interesting retrospective study comparing extubation success in premature infants treated with 2 different types of continuous positive airway pressure, both important interventions used to reduce the time that infants spend on mechanical ventilation. The review of the literature focuses on different types of nasal continuous positive airway pressure, with valuable scientific evidence for neonatal nurses.
It is well known that mothers of preterm infants suffer stress in response to the birth and care of their infants. Dr Lois Phillips-Pula and her colleagues provide a systematic review of the literature on mothering a preterm infant, from which they describe 4 broad themes regarding the duration of stress and clinical depressive symptoms and difficulties in establishing maternal-infant bonding opportunities following discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit.
The report by Dr Tzu-Ying Lee and Fang-Yi Lin describes the perceptions and experiences of Taiwanese parents in coping with their infants' unfolding developmental disabilities following preterm birth and very low-birth-weight. Four themes emerged relating to uncertainty, search for meaning, desire for normalcy, and attitudes toward accepting early intervention and balancing family life and relationships.
Breast-feeding is the unchallenged, preferred choice for most mothers and infants. Concern exists regarding the potential association between information and formula samples sent to pregnant women and new mothers and breast-feeding outcomes. This study by Dr Jo Carol Chezem and her colleagues, which examined sources of infant formula samples and breast-feeding at 1 month in a primarily white and educated population, did not find significant correlations and suggests the need for further study.
-Diane J. Angelini, EdD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, NEA-BC
Perinatal Editor
-Susan Bakewell-Sachs, PhD, RN, PNP, BC
Neonatal Editor