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Social Representations of Bedside Milk Expression Among Mothers of Preterm Newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

ABSTRACT

Aim

To understand the social representations of bedside milk expression (BME) among mothers of preterm newborns in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Design

Qualitative descriptive study.

Methods

The study was conducted from July to August 2024 in two NICUs of a referral maternity hospital in Fortaleza, Brazil. Nineteen mothers of hospitalised premature newborns participated. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and subjected to thematic content analysis.

Results

Mothers perceived BME as a meaningful act of protection and bonding, though some were unfamiliar with the practice. Emotional ambivalence was common, shaped by prior breastfeeding experiences and the context of prematurity. Discomfort related to privacy and shared spaces was noted. Support from healthcare professionals was essential to promote understanding and adherence.

Conclusion

Social representations of BME are shaped by emotional, social and institutional experiences. Anchored in prior breastfeeding experiences and cultural meanings of maternal care, the practice is objectified through both gestures of affection and tangible barriers.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

Healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, should receive training to support mothers in BME. Structural improvements, privacy and emotional support are essential for fostering maternal autonomy and confidence.

Impact

This study highlights the barriers to BME, emphasising the role of healthcare support and the need for better infrastructure, privacy and training to enhance maternal confidence and breastfeeding.

Reporting Method

The study followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.

Patient or Public Contribution

None.

What Does This Paper Contribute to the Wider Global Clinical Community?

This paper highlights the pivotal role of healthcare professional support in overcoming barriers to BME and promoting breastfeeding practices.

What Already Is Known?

Fresh breast milk is considered the gold standard for reducing complications and improving survival in preterm infants. BME is recommended as an effective strategy to ensure the availability of fresh breast milk. Mothers' social representations of this practice remain underexplored within the neonatal intensive care context.

What This Paper Adds?

Explores mothers' social representations of BME in NICUs, addressing a significant gap in qualitative research. Reveals how emotional, social and institutional factors shape mothers' perceptions, motivations and challenges related to BME. Highlights the need for targeted professional support, improved infrastructure and privacy to enhance maternal autonomy and adherence to milk expression practices.

Implications for Practice

Healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, should receive specialised training to provide technical guidance and emotional support, enhancing mothers' confidence and autonomy in BME. Improving infrastructure and ensuring privacy in NICUs are crucial to creating supportive environments that facilitate milk expression and strengthen maternal–infant bonding. Institutional policies should integrate maternal-centred strategies to support breastfeeding continuity and promote humanised neonatal care.

Assessing the impact of binge drinking and a prebiotic intervention on the gut-brain axis in young adults: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Por: Prata-Martins · D. · Nobre · C. · Almeida-Antunes · N. · Azevedo · P. · Sousa · S. S. · Crego · A. · Cryan · J. · Sampaio · A. · Carbia · C. · Lopez-Caneda · E.
Introduction

Adolescence and youth are periods of significant maturational changes, which seem to involve greater susceptibility to disruptive events in the brain, such as binge drinking (BD). This pattern—characterised by repeated episodes of alcohol intoxication—is of particular concern, as it has been associated with significant alterations in the developing brain. Recent evidence indicates that alcohol may also induce changes in gut microbiota composition and that such disturbances can lead to impairments in both brain function and behaviour. Moreover, there is evidence suggesting that microbiota-targeted interventions (psychobiotics) may help mitigate alcohol-induced damage in individuals with chronic alcohol use, positively influencing cognitive and brain functioning. However, the triadic relationship between BD, gut microbiota and brain structure/function, as well as the therapeutic potential of gut microbiota-targeted interventions in young binge drinkers, remains largely unexplored.

Methods and analysis

This double-blind, parallel, randomised controlled study aims to evaluate whether a BD pattern disrupts gut microbiota diversity in young college students (primary outcome). Additionally, it seeks to determine whether alcohol-induced alterations in the microbial composition and function are associated with immunological, cognitive, neurostructural and neurofunctional impairments (secondary outcomes). A total of 82 college students (36 non/low drinkers and 46 binge drinkers (BDs)), matched for age and sex, will be recruited from the University of Minho (Portugal). During the pre-intervention phase, all participants will undergo a comprehensive assessment protocol, including gut microbiota profiling, measurement of inflammatory markers, neuropsychological testing and structural and functional MRI. BDs will then be randomly assigned to a 6-week intervention with either a prebiotic (inulin) or a placebo (maltodextrin). Post-intervention assessment will mirror the baseline protocol, and craving and alcohol use will be monitored for 3 months.

Ethics and dissemination

The present protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee for Social and Human Sciences of the University of Minho (CEICSH 078/2022), ensuring compliance with national and international ethical guidelines, including the Declaration of Helsinki. Participation is voluntary and preceded by informed consent, with confidentiality and data processing safeguarded in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation. All procedures are safe and non-invasive, and the prebiotics used are recognised as food ingredients in Europe, hold Generally Recognized as Safe status in the USA and are classified as dietary fibres by the Food and Drug Administration. Findings will be disseminated in national and international scientific forums, with preference for publication in open-access, peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT05946083

Trends in diabetes monitoring and control among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples attending general practice in urban and rural locations in Australia: a repeated cross-sectional study using data from a national general practice database (Medi

Por: Liddell · A. · Pink · N. · Baldim Jardim Nobre · F. · Bernardo · C. · Williams · S. · Stocks · N. · Gonzalez-Chica · D.
Objective

To determine the proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples with diabetes who were monitored according to recommended national guidelines and had their clinical parameters within recommended targets. We also examined trends over time (2013–2022) and compared urban and rural areas.

Design

A repeated cross-sectional study using data from a national general practice database (MedicineInsight, 2013–2022).

Setting

De-identified electronic health records (EHR) of people attending 427 mainstream general practices across Australia.

Participants

This study included all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adults (18+ years) diagnosed with diabetes mellitus who were regular patients (attended at least once a year in three consecutive years) within the MedicineInsight database.

Outcome measures

Outcomes measured were (i) monitoring of blood glucose, lipids, blood pressure (BP), renal function and Body Mass Index (BMI)/waist circumference (WC) and (ii) achieving recommended targets: glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≤7.0%, fasting glucose 4–7 mmol/L, random glucose 5–10 mmol/L, total cholesterol ≤4.0 mmol/L, low-density lipoprotein 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) 2, WC

Results

Between 70% and 90% of individuals were monitored for the clinical parameters above, except for BMI/WC (55%–75%). Trends in monitoring over time were similar across remoteness areas, increasing slightly in 2013–2014 and declining from 2019. Among those monitored, 53%–86% achieved targets for blood glucose, lipids and renal function; 32%–42% for BP; and

Conclusion

The risk of diabetes complications among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples could be reduced by improving management of blood pressure and overweight/obesity in all areas, and blood glucose and lipids in rural areas.

COVID-19 Nursing Staff Sizing Technology

imageThis study shows the development of a software for calculating the number of nursing team members required for providing care during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Study about the development of a technology based on the literature about data and indicators. The indicators were systematized in the following dimensions: institutional, professional, and occupational structure, all with a focus on coronavirus disease 2019. The software was created to be used on the Web, client-server, in browsers such as Internet Chrome, Explorer, and/or Mozilla Firefox, accessing via an Internet address and also allowing access by Windows, Android, and Linux operating systems, with MySQL database used for data storage. The data and indicators related to the institutional structure for coronavirus disease 2019 were systematized with 10 dimensions and indicators, and the professional and occupational structure, with 14 dimensions and indicators. The construction of computer requirements followed the precepts of software engineering, with theoretical support from the area. In the evaluation of the software, data simulation revealed points that had to be adjusted to ensure security, data confidentiality, and easy handling. The software provides to calculate the size and quality of the team, nursing sizing required due to the needs generated by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Consulta puerperal: ¿las enfermeras egresadas de una residencia obstétrica realizan esta práctica?

Objetivo principal: comprender cómo se ha realizado la asistencia ofrecida en consultas puerperales por enfermeros egresados de un programa de residencia en enfermería obstétrica en una Universidad Pública del Sur de Minas Gerais. Metodología: estudio cualitativo, descriptivo y exploratorio, se utilizó el análisis de contenido de Bardin. La población está compuesta por ocho enfermeras parteras y la recolección de datos consistió en entrevistas semiestructuradas, en línea, a través de la plataforma Skype. Principales resultados: surgieron cuatro categorías temáticas, entre ellas: “Atención integral en la consulta puerperal”; “Facilidades, dificultades y posibilidades para realizar la consulta puerperal”; “Uso de metodologías activas en las consultas prenatales y puerperales para la educación en salud”, y “Las bases de la humanización del cuidado de enfermería a la puérpera”. Principal conclusión: se verificó que actúan de forma calificada, humanizada, integral, en concordancia con la literatura científica e identificadas dificultades, facilidades y posibilidades, así como la realización de la educación en salud y humanización de la atención puerperal.

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