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Background: Treprostinil is a prostacyclin analogue that is frequently used in the pediatric and adult population to treat pulmonary hypertension; however, it is not often a drug of choice for patients in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of treprostinil as a treatment for pulmonary hypertension of the neonate. Data Sources: Electronic databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase were used for this literature review. Twelve articles within the last 10 years (2014-2024) were included in this review. Study Selection: 136 articles were identified and primary research studies published in English and with patients younger than one year of age were included. Duplicates were removed and studies discussing genetics and congenital heart disease were excluded. Data Extraction: Abstracts were reviewed and articles referencing treprostinil use in the NICU were included for review. Independent extraction was completed by author. Results: Findings showed treprostinil to have a therapeutic benefit in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernias and possibly with premature infants. Some adverse effects were noted, one of which included hypotension; however, management strategies exist to mitigate this effect. Implications for Practice and Research: Initiating treprostinil in the NICU may help decrease the severity of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) which can help reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality. Future research is needed to determine the optimal timeframe to initiate treprostinil in the NICU; the duration of treatment; use in other conditions that can cause PPHN (i.e. meconium aspiration syndrome); and the other potential effects it may have for the preterm infant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the geographical distance, work obligations, and parenting responsibilities, it is often difficult for parents to visit the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Limited parent presence might also constrain updates about infant status thus increasing anxiety, which potentially leads to a stronger necessity for visitation. Purpose: Examine the evidence for use of electronic visit (eVisit) technology for parents of newborns in NICU, for example, do eVisits decrease anxiety and are there other factors that demonstrate effectiveness. Data Sources: Seven databases were used to search for evidence from 1 January 2000 to 13 November 2023. Study Selection: Studies were included with terms related to eHealth, NICU, infant, parent and 41 eligible studies were assessed. Data Extraction: Data were extracted by 2 reviewers with a systematic-staged review approach. Results: Eight studies with a total of 1450 cases were included. Results of meta-analysis showed that eVisit technology improved anxiety compared with conventional visitation (MD = − 5.04, 95% CI [−5.92, − 4.17], P < .01) and hospitalization satisfaction (RR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.05, 1.13], P < .01), but the effect was not significant with regard to reduction in infant length of stay (MD = − 1.07, 95% CI [−5.39, 3.25], P = .63). Implications for Practice and Research: A large sample, high-quality, multi-centered randomized controlled study needs to be conducted to validate the effect of eVisit technology on the psychological state of parents, implications for nursing practice as well as potential newborn affects to improve future ease of use. Available for more insights from the authors. This video shows the concept, current status, significance, and implications for practice and research of eVisit technology. Video 1 Meta-Analysis of eVisit Technology on Psychological Anxiety and Factors Influencing the Parents of NICU Newborns Video 1. Meta-Analysis of eVisit Technology on Psychological Anxiety and Factors Influencing the Parents of NICU Newborns 1_xiq2ztc3 Kaltura [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: Care coordination programs are becoming more widely available for children with complex conditions, yet we lack an understanding of programs available to infants and their benefits. OBJECTIVE: To summarize characteristics and outcomes associated with care coordination programs for infants with complex conditions. DATA SOURCES: Electronic search of Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Web of Science databases for articles published from 2010 to 2021. STUDY SELECTION: Inclusion criteria consisted of (1) peer-reviewed manuscripts about a care coordination program, (2) infants (birth to 1 year) with complex medical conditions, (3) and reported at least 1 infant, parent, or healthcare utilization outcome. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted on program characteristics and outcomes (eg, infant, parent, and healthcare utilization and cost). Results were summarized by program characteristics and outcomes. RESULTS: The search returned 3189 studies. Twelve unique care coordination programs were identified from 17 studies in the final sample. Seven programs were hospital-based and 5 were outpatient-based. Most programs reported improvements with satisfaction with care, increased interactions with healthcare teams, reductions in infant mortality, and in health service use. A few programs reported increased costs related to staffing. LIMITATIONS: Few care coordination programs were identified specifically for infants and thus studies that did not report age categories (ie, infants) may not have been identified. CONCLUSIONS: Care coordination programs demonstrate cost reductions for health systems, families, and insurers and improvement in quality of care. Efforts to increase the uptake and sustain these beneficial programs need further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors address growing attention on neuroprotection in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and encourages neonatal caregivers and scientists to explore more opportunities to make the most of the potential of the developing brain during intensive caregiving. Topics discussed include origin of the term 'neuroprotection', neurologic cost of many neonatal therapies used in the NICU, and neuroprotective strategies in the NICU.

Background: Parenting confidence is an important factor in fostering optimal health and development of infants with medical complexity. However, our understanding of how parents of medically complex infants describe development of confidence is limited. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to describe the nature and development of parenting confidence.Methods: A mixed-method design was used to examine how parents described their level of confidence. Ten parents of infants with medical complexity. Quantitative measures provided patterns of confidence and qualitative data focused on parent descriptions of confidence. Parents completed online surveys at 3 time points: (1) study enrollment, (2) infant discharge from hospital, and (3) 3 months after discharge. Parents were purposively sampled, using their confidence patterns, for qualitative phone interviews.Results: Our analysis of quantitative findings revealed 3 confidence patterns: (1) increasing, (2) stable, and (3) varying. Parents described their confidence as either (1) a state of being confident or (2) how they behaved in the parenting role. Parents felt both certain and uncertain in their level of confidence and described confidence as being situationally dependent.Implications For Practice: Parenting confidence needs to be cultivated through encouragement and repeated exposure to parenting behaviors. Nurses are well-suited to help identify parents with low confidence to support parents so that they can develop confidence.Implications For Research: Because there is variability in parent confidence during this critical early period of life, future research should consider a larger cohort of parents that compares confidence in diverse parent groups (ie, married vs living together couples, same-sex couples, and single parents). Research should also examine effective strategies to promote confidence and associated long-term health and developmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, many pandemic policies are still in place in hospitals across the United States,1 which raises ethical concerns as well. These policies often undermine established family-centred care practices and pose potential long-term psychological and medical risks to paediatric patients and their families.5 It is vital that revision to these policies be considered so they realign with family-affirming care. Abbreviation NICU neonatal intensive care unit In 2020, neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) modified visitation policies as a preventative measure to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) is a low-cost, non-invasive respiratory support therapy for children with respiratory distress, but its effectiveness is dependent on the context. We aimed to understand contextual factors influencing bCPAP implementation for children aged 1-59 months in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and to develop a theory explaining how these factors influence implementation outcomes., Methods: In this realist review, we generated an initial programme theory comprising candidate context-mechanism-outcome configurations (CMOCs) via review of key references and team discussion. On July 25, 2023, we conducted a search for peer-reviewed and grey literature, without date restrictions, describing bCPAP use for paediatric respiratory distress in LMICs. We included references describing related contexts, mechanisms, or outcomes. We coded statements from the literature supporting each CMOC, iteratively revising and adding CMOCs using inductive and deductive logic. We assembled an international, interdisciplinary panel of 22 bCPAP stakeholders to refine CMOCs using iterative surveys, focus groups, and interviews until we reached thematic saturation. This realist review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023403584)., Findings: Of 1640 peer-reviewed references and eight grey literature references retrieved, 38 peer-reviewed articles and two grey literature documents were deemed eligible for inclusion after removal of duplicates and screening. After four rounds of expert surveys and three focus groups, we identified 18 CMOCs. CMOCs were synthesised into a final programme theory operating at five levels to influence implementation feasibility, fidelity, and sustainability: (1) the bCPAP device, (2) local partnerships and infrastructure, (3) clinical and technical teams, (4) caregivers and the community, and (5) institutional practices., Interpretation: Using realist methods with a diverse, international stakeholder panel, we generated a theory that could explain how bCPAP therapy works in different contexts. This theory could be leveraged to enhance the rigour of future bCPAP implementation trials., Funding: Yale National Clinician Scholars Program, US National Center for Advancing Translational Science (TL1TR001864), and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (T32HL155000)., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This article examined the concepts of parenting self-efficacy, parenting confidence, and competence. Using Morse's method of concept delineation, a literature review of each concept was conducted to uncover commonalities, distinctions, and measurement overlaps between concepts and provide conceptual boundaries. Findings revealed that parenting confidence and parenting self-efficacy describe a parents' internal attribution or beliefs about their ability to engage in parenting behaviors. Both terms have similar antecedents, attributes, and consequences, whereas competence is a concept that should be used as an objective measure by someone other than the parent to assess parenting quality.