Impact of Picture Book Reading on Preterm Infant Stability, Parental Anxiety, and Parent-Child Attachment

This study investigates the effects of a parent-child picture book reading intervention on the cardiopulmonary stability of preterm infants, parental anxiety, and parent-child attachment. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and neonatal intermediate care unit in northern Taiwan. A total of 88 preterm infants and their parents will be randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Parents in the intervention group will read picture books to their infants from a corrected gestational age of 28 weeks to 36 weeks and 6 days. Physiological data (heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and heart rate variability) and parental anxiety levels will be assessed at multiple time points. The study aims to determine whether this intervention improves infant stability, reduces parental anxiety, and enhances parent-child attachment, contributing to improved neonatal care practices.

NCT Number	NCT06854549
Lead Sponsor	National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Collaborators: Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
Conditions	Effects of Parent-Child Reading on Preterm Infant Stability, Parental Anxiety, and Parent-Child Attachment
Enrollment	88 participants
Start Date	2025-06-23
Primary Completion	2026-06-28 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-06-28 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-09-30