MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing
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MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs · Sep 2006
ReviewProposed guidelines for skin-to-skin treatment of neonatal hypothermia.
Hypothermia is not uncommon in full-term, low-risk newborns during the first days of life. Standard care for treating hypothermia often involves the separation of the mother and the newborn while the infant is placed under a warmer and observed in the nursery. Because one important role of the postpartum nurse is to promote mother-infant attachment by encouraging the mother to spend time "getting to know" her infant, this separation can be problematic. ⋯ The literature review here provides an analysis of the available evidence and the author's conclusion that the research supports the use of STS care as an alternative to traditional rewarming. The evidence was graded and organized into an evidence-based practice guideline for the use of STS care in the treatment of mild hypothermia in the low-risk infant. Suggestions for further research and outcomes measurement are included.
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MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs · Sep 2006
Nursing implications of the 2006 NIH State of the Science Conference Statement: Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request.
Will the nation's higher rate of cesarean deliveries (CDs) (over 29%) lead to increased health risks for mothers and their babies? In March 2006, a National Institutes of Health State of the Science Conference was convened to assess available research on the topic. The focus was to identify outcomes from research studies addressing "cesarean delivery on maternal request" (CDMR), defined as CD without a medical indication for either the mother or the fetus. This conference concluded that it is currently unknown whether CDMR is really a trend in the United States, or whether the emergence of this phenomenon is associated with any specific benefits and harms to mothers and babies. ⋯ On the basis of systematic review of studies, no "strong quality-evidence" was found comparing CD and normal vaginal delivery outcomes. Future research was recommended to develop studies for this purpose in areas such as placental abnormalities (placenta previa and accreta) and various neonatal outcomes. Research on "modifiable" factors during labor and delivery which might decrease maternal and neonatal complications, including the risk for future pelvic floor disorders, was also recommended in the 2006 Conference Statement.