Research Critiques and PICOT Question Guidelines: Final Draft. Quantitative and Quantitative Studies

Research Critiques and PICOT Question Guidelines: Final Draft. Quantitative and Quantitative Studies

Background

Various arguments have been raised regarding the beginning of maternal-infant bonding. Lack of skin-to-skin care and early separation may disturb maternal-infant bonding, reduce the mother’s affective response to her baby, and have a negative effect on maternal behavior. Mazúchová et al. (2020) explore the bond between a mother and child during the post-partum period and factors that predict the different actions. It notes that the bond between a mother and child is reciprocal and emotional, and intended to maintain accessibility, proximity, and attachment.Research Critiques and PICOT Question Guidelines: Final Draft.

It mentions Bowlbyʼs attachment theory, noting that it explains the relationship between a mother and child. The article specifically states that there are mother-infant bonding disorders and present a prediction model for these disorders. With this model, medical personnel would be better able to provide care to improve the relationship between the mother and child for the best outcomes. Research Critiques and PICOT Question Guidelines: Final Draft.

Secondly, Potgieter and Adams (2019) explore skin-to-skin contact’s influence on the bonding and touch between mother and child. It acknowledges that skin to skin contact is an acknowledged approach for providing care to preterm infants in settings with limited medical resources. In addition, it acknowledges that the practice is instrumental for initiating and maintaining breastfeeding. Still, it notes that skin-to-skin contact benefits are not well documented, with no clear evidence to support them. This has had a profound effect on high-risk groups who are not convinced about the need for skin-to-skin contact and the benefits to be expected. Given this awareness, the study sought to present evidence showing that early skin to skin contact helps in improving mother-infant bonding and touch.Research Critiques and PICOT Question Guidelines: Final Draft.

In another study, Maastrup et al. (2018) explore the experiences of parents who initiate early skin-to-skin contact for their preterm infants. It acknowledges that skin-to-skin connection has been determined as a critical neonatal care activity. However, there are questions about its actual value for preterm infants as its results for babies born to term cannot be generalized for preterm babies. Besides that, it raises concerns about parents’ readiness to use the activity and their experiences in using it since preterm babies are typically fragile with unique needs that may raise some fears among the parents, especially with handling them. In gaining knowledge about the concern that parents experience and express, nurses and other medical personnel can implement targeted interventions that would increase the adoption of skin-to-skin contact in neonatal care for extremely preterm infants (Maastrup et al., 2018).Research Critiques and PICOT Question Guidelines: Final Draft.

Finally, Anderzén-Carlsson et al. (2014) present the results of a secondary research study that explores the experiences of parents who use skin-to-skin contact for their newborn infants in neonatal care. It adopts a meta-synthesis approach that synthesizes and interprets qualitative research findings on the same subject. The authors highlight that skin-to-skin contact presents significant benefits for infants with discernible physiological and psychosocial outcomes. In conducting the research, the researchers sought to fill a knowledge gap that existed since no previous qualitative meta-synthesis was on the same research topic. The study is significant to nurses since it helps them support parents to engage in skin-to-skin contact activities with their infants, ensuring that the parents have a positive experience while facilitating the growth of the parents’ self-esteem and ensuring that they are ready to assume full parental care responsibilities (Anderzén-Carlsson et al., 2014).Research Critiques and PICOT Question Guidelines: Final Draft.

How do these four articles support the nurse practice issue you chose?

The chosen nurse practice issue is the need for skin-to-skin contact in maternal-infant bonding to develop the child better while improving maternal behavior. It is postulated that skin to skin contact presents significant benefits to the child, including regulating heart rate and breathing, calm and relaxation, stimulating digestion and interest in feeding, and better skin colonization. It positively influences maternal behavior by increasing the mother’s affective response to the baby and improving bonding. Mazúchová et al.Research Critiques and PICOT Question Guidelines: Final Draft.