Use of videotape to promote parenting of infants with serious congenital heart defects

Abstract

Parents of infants with serious congenital heart defects have misconceptions and negative feelings which may threaten their ability to provide optimal care for their infant. In an effort to increase knowledge and promote a more positive, less anxious attitude among these parents, a videotape entitled `Your Baby with a Congenital Heart Defect' was developed and evaluated. Forty-three parents of thirty infants who required cardiac catherization in the first 8, weeks of life were randomly assigned to experimental (N = 23) or control (N = 20) groups. In the videotape viewed by the experimental parents, three families of cardiac infants related common feelings, problems and infant care experiences. The control group viewed a videotape describing the cardiac anatomy and functional changes associated with defects. Post-videotape questionnaires demonstrated significantly greater knowledge of the infant's behavior and needs in the experimental parents compared to controls (P P P P P = 0.02). We conclude that viewing the videotape on infant care improved parental attitude and their understanding of the behavior and needs of the neonate with congenital heart disease.