Maternal Vertical Microbial Transmission During Skin-to-Skin Care.

Background: Skin-to-skin (STS) care may contribute to mother-to-infant vertical microbial transmission by enriching the preterm infant's microbiome.

Purpose: The purpose of this observational study was to define the impact of increased STS care duration on vertical microbial transmission and consequently modulate oral and intestinal microbial balance.

Methods: Postpartum women and their preterm infants, 31 to 34 weeks' gestation (n = 25), were recruited for this study.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Preterm Infants: Encouraging Staff Nurse Engagement.

In NICUs, antibiotics are the most frequently prescribed medications. Misuse or overuse of antibiotics may lead to resistant species and other life-threatening complications and untoward effects. Antimicrobial stewardship programs-coordinated programs that promote the appropriate use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics)-have reduced unnecessary medication administration, costs, readmissions, complications, and mortality rates related to antimicrobial agents, predominantly among adult patients in many hospitals.

Encouraging Our NICU to "Read-a-Latte": Leveraging a Read-a-Thon to Launch a Quality Improvement Initiative.

Background: Preterm infants have known impairments in language development relative to infants born at full term, and the language-poor environment of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a contributing factor. Adapting outpatient literacy programs for the NICU is a potential evidence-based intervention to encourage adult speech exposure to infants through reading sessions during NICU hospitalization.

Purpose: To evaluate implementation of a 10-day NICU Read-a-Thon and potential barriers and facilitators of a year-round program aimed at increasing reading sessions for NICU patients.

A National Survey of Neonatal Nurses' Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices of Antibiotic Stewardship.

Background: In the neonatal intensive care unit, implementation of antibiotic stewardship programs has been challenging, especially for staff nurses.

Purpose: To identify neonatal nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward antibiotic stewardship programs in neonatal intensive care units.

Methods: This was a descriptive survey study to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of neonatal nurses related to antibiotic stewardship.

A clinical-academic partnership to develop a family management intervention for parents of preterm infants.

Aims: To examine the critical role that an academic clinical partnership played in the development and refinement of a family management intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Background: Clinical-academic partnerships enable earlier infusion of implementation science principles into development of evidence-based interventions, yet partners often report difficulty leveraging resources, personnel and expertise to create beneficial outcomes for all.

Design: Longitudinal qualitative descriptive design.

Influence of NICU Nurse Education on Intention to Support Lactation Using Tailored Techniques: A Pilot Study.

Background: Preterm infants' outcomes improve when fed their mothers' milk. Low percentages of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses support mothers facing barriers to establishing and sustaining adequate milk supplies. Nurses' motivations and attitudes are instrumental, but understudied, factors in their intention to promote maternal lactation.

A Password-Protected Web Site for Mothers Expressing Milk for Their Preterm Infants.

Background: Research has demonstrated that breast milk significantly decreases morbidities that impact length of stay for preterm infants, but there is a need to test interventions to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Since many Americans are using technologies such as the Intranet and smartphones to find health information and manage health, a Web site was developed for mothers who provide breast milk for their preterm hospitalized infants.

Purpose: This study examined the efficacy of a Web site for mothers to educate them about breast milk expression and assist them in monitoring their breast milk supply.

Mothers' experiences expressing breast milk for their preterm infants: does NICU design make a difference?

Purpose: This study examined differences in outcomes of provision of mothers' milk before and after implementation of a single-family room (SFR) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and described issues related to long-term milk expression.

Sample: The sample included 40 mothers (15 in the original NICU and 25 in the SFR NICU).

Design: Descriptive comparative.

Cup-feeding for preterm infants: mechanics and safety.

Cup-feeding is recommended for breastfed preterm infants to avoid artificial nipples. However, the oral mechanisms used in cup-feeding, or its safety and efficacy, have not been described. The authors measured sipping, breathing, SaO2, and volume of intake during 15 cup-feeding sessions for 8 infants (mean gestational age at birth was 30.