Daytime nap and nighttime breastfeeding are associated with toddlers\u27 nighttime sleep

The purpose of the present study is to examine the association between toddlers\u27 sleep arrangements and their nighttime sleep duration and other sleep variables. For this investigation, we performed a study in which child activity and sleep levels were recorded using actigraphy. The parents of 1.5-year-old toddlers (n = 106) were asked to attach an actigraphy unit to their child’s waist with an adjustable elastic belt and complete a sleep diary for 7 consecutive days. Questionnaires were used to assess the sleep arrangements of the toddlers. There was a significant negative correlation between nap duration and nighttime sleep duration, suggesting that longer nap sleep induces shorter nighttime sleep duration. Among the sleep arrangements, such as nighttime breastfeeding or co-sleeping, only nighttime breastfeeding predicted shorter nighttime sleep duration. Our findings indicate that shorter naps induce a longer nighttime sleep in 1.5-year-old toddlers while nighttime breastfeeding decreases their nighttime sleep duration

Sleep maturation influences cognitive development of preterm toddlers

Our recent study on full-term toddlers demonstrated that daytime nap properties affect the distribution ratio between nap and nighttime sleep duration in total sleep time but does not affect the overall total amount of daily sleep time. However, there is still no clear scientific consensus as to whether the ratio between naps and nighttime sleep or just daily total sleep duration itself is more important for healthy child development. In the current study, to gain an answer to this question, we examined the relationship between the sleep properties and the cognitive development of toddlers born prematurely using actigraphy and the Kyoto scale of psychological development (KSPD) test. 101 premature toddlers of approximately 1.5 years of age were recruited for the study. Actigraphy units were attached to their waist with an adjustable elastic belt for 7 consecutive days and a child sleep diary was completed by their parents. In the study, we found no significant correlation between either nap or nighttime sleep duration and cognitive development of the preterm toddlers. In contrast, we found that stable daily wake time was significantly associated with better cognitive development, suggesting that sleep regulation may contribute to the brain maturation of preterm toddlers

Preterm toddlers have low nighttime sleep quality and high daytime activity.

A number of studies have been made on the sleep characteristics of children born preterm in an attempt to develop methods to address the sleep problems commonly observed among such children. However, the reported sleep characteristics from these studies vary depending on the observation methods used, i.e., actigraphy, polysomnography and questionnaire. In the current study, to obtain reliable data on the sleep characteristics of preterm-born children, we investigated the difference in sleep properties between 97 preterm and 97 term toddlers of approximately 1.5 years of age using actigraphy. Actigraphy units were attached to the toddlers’ waists with an adjustable elastic belt for 7 consecutive days, and a child sleep diary was completed by their parents. In the study, we found that preterm toddlers had more nocturnal awakenings and more daytime activity, suggesting that preterm-born children may have a different process of sleep development in their early development

Consideration of the needs for continuous nursing care to NICU discharged infants and their mothers. : Interviews of their mothers who lived in a government-decreed city <Report of research>

目的: NICUを退院した児の都市部に在住する母親が利用した継続看護の内容を分析し, ニーズを明らかにすることから, 当該地域における継続看護に対する課題を検討することである. 方法: 対象者は, NICU退院後も医療的ケアを要した子どもとその母親2名と, 早産・低出生体重児でNICUを退院した1歳未満の子どもの母親4名とした. データ収集は, 半構成的面接法を用い, 母子の基本的属性, 退院後に受けた継続看護の内容と, それに対する思いや意見をインタビューし, Berelsonの内容分析の手法を用いて分析した. 結果および考察: ニーズの発生した時期により, 「NICU退院を控えた時期のニーズ」と「NICU退院後のニーズ」があった. さらに, この結果より, NICU退院児の継続看護に対するニーズは, 【NICUにおける退院直後の相談機能の充実】, 【状況に合わせた地域ケア活用方法の説明と連携】, 【母乳相談資源を活用しやすくする説明と連携】, 【専門性の高い個別的アドバイスの継続】, 【ピアグループの形成と支援】の5つが明らかになった. 以上より, 都市部に在住しているため活用できる社会資源が多様にあっても, 母親が困ったときにいつでも相談できる窓口の存在とその周知の必要性, および相談内容に応じた適切な情報提供の必要性が示唆された. 加えて, 提供する情報の種類も母乳ケアや専門的なスタッフによるものなど, 幅広く求められていた. また, NICU退院児の母親は, NICU入院中の看護職者との関係性が退院後の相談窓口の選択に影響する可能性があるため, 入院中の関係性の形成が重要であることが示唆された.Purpose: This study aims to clarify the needs and problems for continuous nursing care to NICU discharged infants and their mothers, who live in a government-decreed city. Methods: Subjects consisted of four mothers of low-birth-weight infants, who were younger than one year of age, and two mothers of infants, who required additional medical care not related to low-birth weight and were discharged from the NICU. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews. The mothers were interviewed about their and their infant's characters, and the content of their continuous nursing care as well as their thoughts about the care their infants received. Data was analyzed by Berelson's Content Analysis. Results and Discussion: The needs for continuous nursing care to NICU discharged infants and their mothers were as follows: 1) Enrichment of NICU consultation immediately after discharging the infant from the hospital; 2) Explanation and improved availability of community nursing according to their specific circumstances; 3) Explanation and cooperation of the breastfeeding consultant; 4) Continuous availability of specialized individual advice; and 5) Formation of a peer support group. These mothers were in situations where using many of society's resources were difficult. However, they needed access to consultation services on demand. Thus, it is the public's best interest that these mothers receive the appropriate information services. In addition, the mothers requested a wide range of information services, including advice from specialists and information about breastfeeding. Finally, our results suggest that mutual trust between the mothers and the nurses is important during the infant's hospitalization, because this relationship affects the mother's subsequent choice of consultation services

Study on the Quality of Life of Mothers Whose Children are Sick : The QOL of Mothers Having Hospitalized and Ambulatory Children

Introduction: To maintain good QOL of mothers is important for their children's mental and physical development. However, it is sometimes difficult for mothers with sick children to maintain their own QOL, because of the difficult management of their children's daily lives. We, therefore, investigated the QOL of mothers having hospitalized and ambulatory children. Methods: 1. Subjects: Fifty-five mothers of from 0 to 6-year-old children: 42 with children hospitalized in a university hospital and 13 with ambulatory children. 2. Research period: From August to September 2003. 3. Research methods: We used the QUIK-R, a self-completed questionnaire for Quality of Life Revised by Iida and Kohashi, and questionnaires on factors which affect the QOL of mothers. Results: 1) The average scores of QUIK-R, the presence of sick children's siblings, and the age of mothers showed no significant differences between inpatient and outpatient groups. 2) The distribution of total scores for QUIK of both the inpatient and outpatient groups were "slightly poor" according to a six-tiered rating scale. 3) The QUIK-R scores of mothers showed no significant differences depending on the age of inpatient children, period of hospitalization, and ward for inpatients. 4) Mothers with sick children had poorer QUIK-R scores than those with healthy children. 5) It was found that, when children are hospitalized for a long time, mothers devise means of obtaining happiness and amusement although their physical fatigue is not eased. Conclusion: The QOL of mothers with sick children was apt to be poor compared to that of mothers with healthy children. Therefore, it is important for nurses to develop a system to support children's families and medical service workers to decrease physical, mental and social stresses of mothers in hospitals and at home