Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33173551›Full record

ArticlePaediatrics & child health2020

The Infant Cuddler Study: Evaluating the effectiveness of volunteer cuddling in infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Amanda Hignell, Karen Carlyle, Catherine Bishop, Mary Murphy, Teresa Valenzano, Suzanne Turner, Michael Sgro

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Paediatrics & child health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Amanda HignellDepartment of Pediatrics, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
Karen CarlyleDepartment of Pediatrics, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
Catherine BishopDepartment of Pediatrics, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
Mary MurphyDepartment of Pediatrics, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
Teresa ValenzanoInterprofessional Practice Based Research, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
Suzanne TurnerDepartment of Family & Community Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
Michael SgroDepartment of Pediatrics, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
St Michael’s Hospital · IEUnity Health TorontoUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesSt. Michael's Hospital launched a volunteer cuddling program for all infants admitted into the neonatal intensive care unit in October 2015. The program utilizes trained volunteers to cuddle infants when caregivers are not available. This was a pilot study to assess the impact of a volunteer cuddle program on length of stay (LOS) and feasibility of implementation of the program.

methodsA mixed methods approach was utilized to measure both quantitative and qualitative impact. A pilot cohort study with a retrospective control group assessed the feasibility of implementing a volunteer cuddling program for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Length of stay was used as a surrogate marker to measure the impact of cuddling on infants being treated for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Focus groups using semi-structured interviews were conducted with volunteers and nurses at the end of the pilot study.

resultsLOS was reduced by 6.36 days (U=34, P=0.072) for infants with NAS in the volunteer cuddling program. Focus groups with both bedside nurses and program volunteers described a positive impact of cuddling programs on infants, families, staff, and volunteers alike.

conclusionsThe study results suggest that the volunteer cuddling program may reduce LOS in infants with NAS and have potential economic savings on hospital resources. However, larger prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these results.

Indexed as

Intensive care unitsLength of stayNeonatalNeonatal abstinence syndromeVolunteers

Identifiers

PMID33173551
PMCPMC7606161
OpenAlexW2980283396

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.