Impact on the healthcare team and parents of the type of cardiorespiratory monitoring during phototherapy

Neonatal jaundice is treated with phototherapy and requires continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring, which can induce parental anxiety. Within a very short time, parents receive the announcement of the diagnosis and of the need for a treatment in another unit with a new team of caregivers. To evaluate parents' anxiety and their feelings concerning the location of treatment concerning cardiorespiratory monitoring equipment (wired vs Wi-Fi wireless monitoring equipment) and treatment location (neonatology vs maternity wards) during a phototherapy treatment in the neonatology unit, located in the maternity wards. This was a prospective and monocentric study. Parental anxiety was assessed using the STAI-Y score. Their feelings on the location of treatment were assessed using a specific questionnaire. Three successive periods were considered: period I "wired with neonatology team," period II "Wi-Fi with neonatology team," and period III "Wi-Fi with maternity wards". Comparison between periods I and II evaluated the impact of the monitoring equipment and comparison between periods II and III assessed the impact of the treatment location. No effects of the monitoring equipment were observed. We found an impact of the treatment location in charge of the newborn: the parent's anxiety (STAI-Y score) was lower in the maternity wards, whereas the maternity ward personnel considered the protocol as an increased workload (p