THE INFLUENCE OF PHYSIOLOGIC STABILITY, BEHAVIORAL STABILITY AND FAMILY STABILITY ON THE PRETERM INFANT'S LENGTH OF STAY IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
Contributors: Catholic University of America.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 139
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Human Development.; Psychology, Psychobiology.
Description: The purpose of this research was to measure the influence of selected individual differences as described by physiologic, behavioral and family stability at 24 hours after birth on adaptation among pre-terms as described by length of time until discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The conceptual model was the Neuman Systems Model (1982) which describes individual differences as the biological, psychological, socio-cultural and developmental variables which compromise one's means of adaptation. A descriptive correlational, ex-post-facto design was used (Campbell & Stanley, 1963).

The sample included 80 pre-terms: 30-34 weeks gestational age, free from congenital anomalies or birth asphyxia and born to married couples wherein one member was employed full-time. Consent was obtained and parents completed the Family APGAR (Smilkstein et al., 1982). Hour long passive observations were begun 20 minutes after completion of routine care when infants were 24 (+/$-$8) hours of age. The researcher made an FM recording of the ECG output which was analyzed to calculate Vagal Tone (Porges, 1982), and scored epochs of behavior which were analyzed to derive the Stability Index (Tynan, 1986). Then demographic data describing the neonate, mother, pregnancy and birth were collected. Length of stay in the NICU was determined for each pre-term at the conclusion of the study.

Hypotheses were tested using a multiple regression model. Gestational age was entered first, as a blocking variable, and was statistically significant: F(1,78) = 48.83, p $<$.00001. H1: Pre-terms who achieved greater physiologic stability within 24 hours of birth would be discharged sooner than those who did not, was not supported (t(77) = $-1.37$, p $<$.175)). H2: Pre-terms who achieved greater behavioral stability within 24 hours of birth would be discharged sooner than those who did not, was not supported (t(76) = $-1.52$, p $<$.132). H3: Pre-terms whose families evidenced greater stability within 24 hours of the birth would be discharged sooner than those whose families did not, was not supported (t(75) = $-.176$, p $<$.082)). Individual differences approached but did not achieve statistical significance as predictors of adaptation.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-04, Section: B, page: 1328.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA, 1989.

School code: 0043.