CoolBonding study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  “CoolBonding”: Impact of COVID-19 on bonding, attachment and mental health of parents of babies cooled for hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy: multicentre prospective cohort study.

• IRAS ID

  257431

• Contact name

  Ela Chakkarapani

• Contact email

  ela.chakkarapani@bristol.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Research and Enterprise, University of Bristol.

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Summary of Research
  In the UK, each year, 2-3 babies per 1000 live births suffer brain damage due to birth asphyxia. This condition is called hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). Standard treatment for HIE includes 3 days of cooling therapy and intensive care soon after birth to ameliorate brain damage, which is offered in tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Babies born in district general hospitals with HIE are transferred to the tertiary NICU soon after birth. Mothers typically arrive at the tertiary NICU around 48 hours after giving birth, once they are stable. This early separation and the high tech intensive care environment and inability to cuddle the babies during cooling impacts on the maternal infant bonding when the child is around 18 months old. Furthermore, the restrictions imposed on the visiting arrangements of parents who have their babies in the NICU might impact the mental health of parents and the development of parent-infant bonding.
  This prospective multi-centre study will last for 2 years, involving families of babies who undergo cooling therapy in up to 6 tertiary NICUS. Using standard questionnaires, we will assess the mood of parents, bonding and attachment between parents and their babies at 5-7 days and 8 weeks after giving birth. This study will examine the mental health and bonding/attachment scores from parents of babies who underwent cooling therapy during different levels of COVID-19 visiting restrictions on parents in the participating NICUs.

  Summary of Results
  This study investigated the depression and parent infant bonding during usual care of parents whose infants underwent cooling therapy and intensive care across the southwest England and south Wales. We compared their data with parents who had cuddled their babies during cooling therapy. We found that mothers who did not have CoolCuddle in the CoolBonding study had higher depression and poorer mother-infant bonding compared with mothers who had CoolCuddle in the CoolCuddle study at discharge. All fathers had higher depression scores when the baby was discharged from the NICU. The depression scores improved when the babies reached 8 weeks of age

• REC name

  South East Scotland REC 02

• REC reference

  20/SS/0130

• Date of REC Opinion

  10 Dec 2020

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion