Maternal note-taking and infant care: a pilot randomised controlled trial
- Caroline J Kistin1,2,
- Alejandra Barrero-Castillero1,
- Sheilajane Lewis2,
- Rachel Hoch2,
- Barbara L Philipp2,
- Howard Bauchner3,
- C Jason Wang4
- 1Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- 2Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- 3Journal of the American Medical Association, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- 4Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention and Division of General Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Correspondence to Dr Caroline J Kistin, Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 88 E Newton St, Vose 3, Boston, MA 02118, USA; caroline.kistin{at}bmc.org
- Received 1 May 2012
- Accepted 14 June 2012
- Published Online First 17 July 2012
Abstract
Design A pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted with postpartum mothers to assess the feasibility and impact of note-taking during newborn teaching. Controls received standard teaching; the intervention group received pen and paper to take notes. Subjects were called 2 days post-discharge to assess infant sleep position, breastfeeding, car seat use, satisfaction and information recall.
Results 126 mothers were randomised. There was a consistent trend that intervention subjects were more likely to report infant supine sleep position (88% vs 78%, relative risks (RR) 1.13; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.34), breastfeeding (96% vs 86%, RR 1.11; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.25) and correct car seat use (98% vs 87%, RR 1.12; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.25). Satisfaction and information recall did not differ. Among first-time mothers, intervention subjects were significantly more likely to report infant supine sleep position (95% vs 65%, RR 1.46; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.00).
Conclusions Maternal note-taking is feasible and potentially efficacious in promoting desirable infant care.
Footnotes
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Funding This research was funded in part by grant T32 HP10263-01 from Kirchstein-NRSA (Kistin) and by the Joel and Barbara Alpert Endowment for the Children of the City (Kistin).
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Competing interests None.
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Ethical approval Boston University Medical Center IRB.
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Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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Data sharing statement Data for the study are available upon request from the corresponding author Kistin.
