Authors

  1. Section Editor(s): Angelini, Diane J. EdD, CNM, NEA-BC, FACNM, FAAN
  2. Perinatal Editor
  3. Bakewell-Sachs, Susan PhD, RN, PNP-BC, FAAN
  4. Neonatal Editor

Article Content

The 28:4 Selected Topics issue of The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing encompasses 3 international submissions for the Perinatal section. There is one research article on the perceived meaning of life during pregnancy, a descriptive evaluation of providers of palliative care and a review of influenza vaccine usage in pregnancy.

 

The first article is from Hong Kong, and it is a comprehensive review of influenza and influenza vaccine usage during pregnancy from an international perspective. Yuen and Tarrant detail the evidence for safety of this vaccine during pregnancy, its uptake among pregnant women, and reasons why usage is suboptimal in selected settings. Randomized controlled trials are recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of individual or multifaceted approaches to improve vaccine uptake in pregnancy worldwide.

 

The second manuscript is a research article by Prinds et al is from Denmark, and it explores the meaning of life and how this might differ when a woman is pregnant. This is a study exploring existential meaning among first-time mothers who had full-term infants and those having a preterm birth. This cross-sectional survey-based study investigated whether attitudes related to existential meaning among first-time mothers intensified and did such feelings differ between mothers who gave birth at full term and those who gave birth at preterm. Five core items, which included meaning in life, vulnerability, responsibility, thoughts about life and death, and was there "something bigger than oneself," were used to compare attitudes of mothers on existential meaning.

 

The third article by Stenekes et al is a descriptive evaluation of perinatal healthcare providers' perspectives of palliative care. This study examines the views of healthcare providers involved in palliative care in 3 tertiary care hospitals in Canada. The study describes a model of integrated perinatal palliative care development and reviews where these 3 sites exist along a continuum-of-care provision. Recommendations are included to improve the integration of palliative care in perinatal programming.

 

We would also bring your attention to the 2 Perinatal columns in this issue. The Perinatal Expert Opinion column addresses ways to reduce the rates of first cesarean birth in the United States. It looks at strategies one can use to facilitate an optimum cesarean birth rate. The Legal Issues and Risk Management column discusses shoulder dystocia and its risk management issues, ie, planning for the unpredictable and mitigating risk.

 

JPNN also introduces the CROWN Initiative in this issue. JPNN is one of more than 50 journals involved in developing and adding to CoRe Outcomes in WomeN's Health (CROWN). It is the intention of this initiative to produce, disseminate, and implement core outcomes sets in clinical trials, which will ensure that patient outcomes with appropriate measurement properties are developed and evaluated. Development of consensus around a set of well-defined outcomes for trials concerning conditions such as preterm birth, for example, will be the focus of this work. The specific aims of the CROWN Initiative are outlined in the special editorial in this issue.

 

The Neonatal section of this issue on Selected Topics offers a variety of relevant topics in research and clinical articles, a continuing education article on kangaroo care and our usual columns.

 

The CE article, by Lauren Head, offers a review of the literature on the effects of kangaroo care on cognitive outcomes in preterm infants. It provides an overview of the conceptual framework of brain plasticity and the impact of environmental stimuli on the developing preterm infant brain. A summary table of studies on kangaroo care and the impact on stress, maternal-infant attachment, physiology/sleep/feeding, and neurodevelopment is provided.

 

Feeding tolerance in preterm infants receiving continuous positive airway pressure or high-flow nasal cannula with or without continuous positive airway pressure is the focus of the retrospective study by Amendolia et al. No significant differences were found comparing time to full feedings between the 2 groups. Given the relationship between respiratory status and feeding, more research is needed to assess modes of respiratory support and feeding tolerance.

 

Garfield, Lee, and Kim present their qualitative study on maternal and paternal concerns as very low-birth-weight infants transition from the neonatal intensive care unit to home. Patterns of parental concerns showed evolution over time and variation by gender. The authors conclude that improved information sharing and anticipatory guidance can help address concerns and support parents during this critical transition.

 

Open neonatal units facilitate family presence, which has been linked to stress reduction, improved patient safety, and increased family satisfaction in the neonatal intensive care unit. However family presence can present challenges for and opposition from nursing staff. Voos and Park describe perceptions of nurses and parents to implementation of an open unit policy. They emphasize the importance of staff education and process on improving nurses' perceptions.

 

Johnston offers a case study of the experience of a young, at-risk black father during the pregnancy, birth, and hospitalization of his preterm son. The case provides an account of one father and a window into the type of struggles and potential opportunity for healthcare team members to provide support.

 

Column editors Susan Blackburn and Katherine Gregory provide informative and enlightening content.

 

-Diane J. Angelini, EdD, CNM, NEA-BC, FACNM, FAAN

 

Perinatal Editor

 

-Susan Bakewell-Sachs, PhD, RN, PNP-BC, FAAN

 

Neonatal Editor