Introduction:
Mothers who have premature infants experience higher levels of anxiety and tension. This affects the relation of mother to the infant and bears on negative developmental consequences for future. Besides its physical and psychological impacts, anxiety and tension impedes the prompt and suitable relationship between the mother and baby and also defers mother’s attendance to the care of infant. This will have negative consequences for infant’s developmental processes.
Materials and Methods:
This is a clinical trial implemented on 90 mothers with a premature infant divided into intervention and control groups. The program for creating parental rehabilitative opportunities is a step by step program through which mothers are given necessary information regarding premature infant and the infants care unit by tapes, illustrated books and also workbooks. The level of mothers’ tension and anxiety was measures three times with intervals of 2-4 days.
Results:
The amount of anxiety and tension in the two groups did not show a significant difference, but the mothers’ anxiety and tension in intervention group reduced in each step (P < 0.001). The level of mothers’ participation was also higher in the intervention group (P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The program for creating parental rehabilitative opportunities reduces the amount of mothers’ tension and anxiety and increases their level of participation