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Biomedical subjects

Marie L Lobo

Publications and source records attributed to Marie L Lobo.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Effectiveness of an intervention for colic.

An intervention for infant irritability or colic was evaluated in a randomized clinical trial. A total of 121 full-term irritable infants (2 to 6 weeks old) were randomized to routine care or the home-based intervention program. A third group (n=43) of irritable infants were entered into a post-test-only group. Following the 4-week intervention, the treatment group infants cried 1.7 hours less per day than the infants in the control group (p=0.02). The findings support the emerging view of infant colic as a behavioral pattern that is responsive to environmental modification and structured cue-based care.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Adaptation of a cardiac monitor for collection of infant sleep data and development of a computer program to categorize infant sleep state.

This article describes the adaptation of a cardiac Holter monitor to more conveniently collect and store infant sleep data. The cardiac monitor was first adapted to connect to a sleep mattress, then refined until readable infant sleep signal data were produced. System data were compared to data collected by a live observer of infant sleep (kappa = 0.84). The IRB-approved testing used newborn infants, conducted with parental consent. Development of a rule-based computer program was designed to categorize the physiologic data into infant sleep wake states. The cardiac monitor was found to be lightweight, portable, battery powered, nonintrusive, and safe for collecting infant sleep data. Preliminary assessment of the validity of the program in scoring infant sleep was compared to hand scored data (kappa = 0.76). Refinement of the system and software program is ongoing and expected to greatly facilitate the study of infant state behavior.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Current beliefs and management strategies for treating infant colic.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to describe the current beliefs about the etiology of colic as well as current management approaches used by pediatric health care providers. METHOD: An open-ended, short- answer survey concerning beliefs about the etiology and treatment of colic was conducted at major National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners and American Academy of Pediatric meetings. The two groups of providers surveyed, pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) (n = 216) and pediatricians (n = 215), were similar in age and years of practice. RESULTS: PNPs were more likely to define colic as "excessive crying." No differences were found in the beliefs regarding etiology of colic. Pediatricians reported seeing more colicky infants per month. A strong relationship existed between etiology and primary treatment approach. Statistically significant differences were found between PNPs and pediatricians in approaches to management of colic. DISCUSSION: Colic remains a prevalent and mysterious malady, with a critical need for more evidence-based treatment protocols. Differences in approaches used by providers were found, with PNPs more likely to use behavioral and environmental approaches to treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reducing parenting stress in families with irritable infants.

BACKGROUND: Caring for an infant with unexplained, persistent crying is one of the most stressful events for new parents. Infant irritability, also referred to as infantile colic, occurs in 10-25% of all infants and is the most common parental concern reported in the first year of life. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based nursing intervention in reducing parenting stress in three groups of families with irritable infants, using data from a larger evaluation study. METHODS: A two-site, randomized clinical trial was conducted with 121 infants and their parents. Infants were randomized to a treatment or a control group. A third group of infants (n = 43) was added as a posttest-only comparison. The level of parenting stress was measured by the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) at baseline, after the 4-week intervention, and at the 8-week follow-up visit. RESULTS: A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the two groups across the three time points (baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and at the 8-week follow-up visit). The results revealed a reduction in total parenting stress over time for both the treatment and control groups. Mothers in the treatment group reported reduced parenting stress on the parent-child dysfunctional interaction subscale (p = .04). Total parenting stress scores were found to be significantly higher for mothers in the posttest-only group (p = .009). CONCLUSION: Initial parenting stress levels were high in all participants. Parent feedback at the exit interview indicated that the nurse visits for data collection were also viewed as helpful in reducing the stress level associated with parenting these irritable infants. This home-based program was perceived as helpful in improving the interactions between parents and their irritable infants.

Adult↗