Feasibility and efficacy of an intervention to reduce secondhand smoke exposure among infants discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

To examine the feasibility and efficacy of a hospital-based, motivational intervention to reduce secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) with mothers of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). One-hundred and forty-four mothers with infants ( ≤ 1500 g at birth or ≥ 12 h ventilation) in a NICU who reported a smoker in the household were randomized to two sessions of motivational interviewing (MI) conducted in the hospital, usual care (UC) or usual care-reduced measurement (UC-RM); follow-up occurred at 1- and 6-months post discharge. For households that did not have a total smoking ban at baseline, 63.6% of those in the MI group instituted a ban by 1-month post discharge compared with 20% of the UC group, P<0.02. Six months post discharge, fewer smoking bans were noted in the UC-RM group relative to MI and UC, P<0.01. A need for SHSe interventions among NICU parents exists and initial evidence suggests MI can impact SHSe after discharge.