Exploring whether parents cuddling their babies undergoing Ccooling therapy for hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) affects the cooling process or intensive care?

CACH researchers: Jenny Ingram, Lucy Beasant, Peter Fleming, Pete Blair.  Jointly with the NHS team: Ela Chakkarapani (PI), David Odd, Marianne Thoresen. Funded by NIHR RfPB.

• i) Refinement and evaluation of an intervention protocol. 2019-2021

Each year in the NHS, nearly 2500 babies with brain injury at birth are treated in intensive care units with cooling therapy for four or more days. Currently, parents can’t cuddle their babies during cooling, and this may impair the bonding experience and impact on parental mental health.

 We have developed and refinied a CoolCuddle intervention, which enables parents to hold their baby safely while still maintaining cooling therapy. In addition to measuring a range of physiological measures on 28 cooled babies during cuddling, we collected data on parental mental health and parent-infant bonding. We also interviewed parents and staff to gather their experiences of the CoolCuddle and their views on improvements to the process.

• ii)             Process evaluation of embedding the CoolCuddle intervention into neonatal intensive care units. (CoolCuddle 2). 2022-2023

We have a further study funded by NIHR RfPB to explore how 5 neonatal units will embed the CoolCuddle intervention into their usual care practice. Using Normalisation Process theory we will map the processes involved and talk to staff and parents.

Publications

Physiology paper: https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/5/1/e001280.info

Qualitative paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hex.13477