The effects of home follow-up on baby care problems, anxiety and depression levels of mothers who have premature babies

This study was carried out to examine the effects of home follow-up on the home care problems and anxiety and depression levels of the primiparous mothers who had a premature baby; and it was a semi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. 80 premature newborns who were delivered before 37 weeks of gestation in a university hospital and their mothers who were eligible were included in the study. Mothers who approved to participate in the study and their babies were enrolled in the experimental and control groups randomly. Data of the study were collected between 06.01.2015-07.01.2016 by sociodemographic data collection form for the family and baby, home care needs evaluation form for mothers of premature babies, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory. Mothers in the control group (n=40) were given forms through the visits within 24 hours following delivery in the hospital and on days 40-42 at home. Care was given to the mothers in the study group (n=40) in the hospital within 24 hours following delivery and through a total of 4 home visits on weeks 1, 2 and 3 and days 40-42 by using Nursing Diagnosis System and Classification of Nursing Interventions of North American Nursing Diagnosis Association. While no significant difference was found between study and control groups for nursing diagnosis detected within 24 hours following delivery (p>0,05), the differences between the groups were found to be significant in all nursing diagnoses detected on days between 40-42 except discomfort in self concept (p<0,05). A statistically nonsignificant decrease was observed in mean depression scores within 24 hours following delivery and 40-42 in study group whereas the increase in control group was found to be significant. The difference between study and control groups for the incidence of depression was found to be nonsignificant within 24 hours following delivery (p<0,05), and significant on days 40-42. (p>0,05). Control group mothers were found to have a risk of postpartum depression on days 40-42 days.While mean state anxiety scores decreased on days 40-42 in the study group, an increase was observed among mothers in control group (p<0.05). Based on these results, it was suggested to provide nursing care for the mothers whose first babies were premature for at least 40-42 days through home follow-up in order to decrease their baby care problems, depression and state anxiety. Key words: Premature infant, home follow-up, anxiety, depression, baby care