DescriptionPurpose of Project: A congenital heart defect (CHD) diagnosis often increases maternal stress during and after a pregnancy. High levels of stress and anxiety can have harmful effects on the fetus and newborn. Current evidence recommends continuous prenatal counseling to ease maternal stress through education, preparation, and emotional support. This quality improvement project aimed to improve maternal stress levels with a prenatal orientation to the cardiac NICU.
Methodology: This project used a qualitative approach to implement a prenatal orientation to the Cardiac NICU with a pre and post survey to assess influence on perceived stress scale (PSS) scores. All English and Spanish speaking mothers 18 years and older who presented to the hospital’s fetal cardiology clinic was offered to participate in the study.
Results: A total of six participants were included in the analysis of pre and post survey findings. Most likely attributable to a type II error in sample size, a statistically insignificant change in PSS scores was found (z = -1.826, p = 0.068). However, stress levels decreased altogether after the intervention. The average pre-survey PSS score was within the moderate stress level (M = 16.8, SD = 2.387), with a 95% CI [13.84, 19.76]. Comparatively, the average post-survey PSS score was within the low stress category (M = 11.2, SD = 6.058), with a 95% CI [3.68, 18.72].
Implications for Practice: An orientation to the cardiac NICU is an integral component of prenatal care for mothers with a fetal CHD diagnosis. This resource can reduce stress levels at a vulnerable time to the health of both mother and baby. Standardizing this type of prenatal support can contribute to the improvement of maternal and infant health.