266 Parents Perception of Giving Antenatal Consent to Include Their Preterm Infant Into a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

Abstract

Background: RCT have shown that a slight delay in clamping the cord benefits preterm infants by reducing intraventricular hemorrhages and donor blood transfusion. One ethical problem with such study is obtaining informed consent from parents at a time when they are very vulnerable and stressed by expecting a preterm baby. Aim: To evaluate parents' perception of including their unborn infant < 33 weeks' gestation into a RCT on a slight delay in clamping the cord or four times milking the cord. Methods: Prospective, single centre study. Parents, whose infants had participated in the RCT, were offered to take part in a structured interview either performed at the hospital or at home. Recorded interviews were transcribed. The interview analysis was performed by a researcher, who was blinded to the infant's allocation, by using NVivo software. Analysis was then summarized by using systematic thematic analysis. Results: 37 (31.9%) of 116 eligible parents agreed to take part in the interviews (22 female, mean age 29.9 years (19-41), 15 male mean age 33.12 years (21-46)). The results identified five main themes for parents: Conclusions: On the basis of the sample there was no difference in parents' perceptions even when related to infants' CRIB scores between milking the cord (mean 2.52; SD 3.19; n=27) and delaying clamping the cord (mean 2.75; SD 4.15; n=28).