Evaluating the Effect of Positive Touch on Moods of Mothers of Premature Infants Hospitalized in NICU: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: The birth and hospitalization of a premature infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can cause mood swings in mothers. Improving these mothers’ moods and reducing their stress is a care priority, which can be achieved by applying some innovative = strategies like using positive touch. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of positive touch on mood states of mothers of premature infants hospitalized in the NICU. Methods: The present randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 mothers whose premature infants were hospitalized in the NICU of two hospitals in northern Iran in 2018. The participants were divided into two equal groups (n = 40) of experimental and control. All participants received a Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire both at the time of admission and discharge. The experimental group received positive touch from the beginning of admission to the NICU until the time of discharge, while the control group only received the routine care. Results: The mean and standard deviation of mothers’ mood scores before the intervention (74.35 ± 36.27) were significantly higher compared to after the intervention (48.63 ± 16.02) (P = 0.001). Moreover, the mean and standard deviation for the sub-components were as follows: (1) tension before intervention (13.6 ± 7.49) vs. after intervention (7.45 ± 4.107) (P < 0.001); (2) depression before intervention (15.73 ± 13.11) vs. after intervention (7.5 ± 8.85) (P < 0.001); (3) fatigue before intervention (7.5 ± 6.47) vs. after intervention (3.95 ± 2.88) (P < 0.001); (4) confusion before intervention (9.63 ± 4.65) vs. after intervention (6.73 ± 2.42) (P < 0.001); (5) anger before intervention (12.97 ± 9.58) vs. after intervention (6.07 ± 4.42) (P < 0.001); and (6) vigor before intervention (14.93 ± 4.59) vs. after intervention (16.93 ± 3.21) (P = 0.001). As the figures show, there were significant differences in all of the sub-components before and after the intervention. Conclusions: It is recommended that mothers be given more opportunities in the NICU to employ positive touch and establish a closer interaction with their infants.