Weight, Temperature, and Transcutaneous Bilirubin of the Term Neonate at Discharge: A Comparative Study Between a Traditional Nursery and Rooming-in Model of Care
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine day of discharge term neonate outcomes of percent weight change, body temperature, and transcutaneous bilirubin from a traditional nursery and a rooming-in model of care. Design: A retrospective, descriptive, comparative design was used, comparing two groups for differences between outcomes. Methods: A total of 102 electronic neonate records from one hospital in north Georgia were examined and divided based on when the model of neonate care changed from the traditional nursery care setting to full rooming-in, which was early November 2010: Group 1 (traditional care) consisted of 51 term neonates discharged from August 2010 through October 2010; Group 2 (rooming-in) consisted of 51 term neonates discharged from November 2010 through February 2011. Results: A one-way ANOVA revealed there was no statistically significant difference for neonates’ percent change in weight between the traditional nursery group and the rooming-in group, F(1, 100) = 1.70, p = .195. In addition, no significant difference was found for neonates’ discharge temperature or discharge transcutaneous bilirubin level between the two groups, F(1, 100) = 0.003, p = .953 and F(1, 100) = 0.000, p = .985, respectively. Conclusions: These study findings suggest term neonates cared for by their mothers in rooming-in settings have similar biometric measurements as neonates cared for by nurses in traditional nurseries. This strengthens the case for hospitals to either continue the practice of rooming-in or to transition to rooming-in if currently practicing within the traditional nursery setting.
Bilirubin, birth-weight, discharge weight, rooming-in, temperature, traditional nursery care, transcutaneous bilirubin, Maternal, Child Health and Neonatal Nursing, Medicine and Health Sciences, Nursing
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