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J Pediatr Intensive Care 2022; 11(04): 282-286
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1724096
Original Article

The 30-Minute Sprint: Recognizing Intrapartum Prematurity Counseling Limitations

Abigail Georgescu 
1   Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
,
Anbu Muthusamy
2   Department of Pediatrics, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, Temple, Texas, United Sates
,
Mir A. Basir
1   Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
› Author Affiliations Funding A.G. was funded through the Drs. Elsa B. and Roger D. Cohen Summer Fellowship. M.B. is supported by NIH grant R21 HD092664.
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Abstract

Describe the characteristics and content of intrapartum counseling provided to women hospitalized for premature birth between 23 and 34 weeks' gestation age (GA). The study was conducted between April and December 2009 in two teaching hospitals with labor and delivery units and level 3 neonatal intensive care units. Counselors completed a postcounseling survey. From 60 sessions, 46 surveys were collected. The median counseling duration was 30 minutes; this was not associated with gestational age. The support-person was not present for most (57%) counseling sessions. There was a positive correlation (p = 0.001) between the number of maternal questions and her education. There was no difference in counseling content across the 23 to 34 weeks' GA regarding delivery room care, physical/mental disability, and vision problems. This study of characteristics and content of premature birth counseling for birth between 23 and 34 weeks' GA found that the duration of most sessions is 30 minutes; the father of the baby is not present during counseling for most premature births, and the topics discussed by counselors are fairly similar and extensive irrespective of the GA. These findings highlight the existing contrast between the recommended counseling practices and the actual practice reported by counselors.

Keywords

premature infant - premature birth - patient education - counseling - telemedicine

Note

The Medical College of Wisconsin Institutional Review Board approved all aspects of this study.


Authors' Contributions

A.G. supported in data analysis, data interpretation, and manuscript writing. A.M. conceived study design and performed data collection. M.B. cooperated in study design, data collection, data interpretation, and manuscript writing.




Publication History

Received: 08 August 2020

Accepted: 14 January 2021

Article published online:
19 February 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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