Rationale
The exposure to narcotic substances before birth has tremendously adverse effects on a child, leading to multiple health complications, the development of the Narcotic Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) being the most negative one. The presence of chemical dependency in infants requires an elaborate treatment strategy to alleviate the health complications in infants (Klaman et al., 2017). To study the effects of the “Eat, Sleep and Console” therapy as a possible solution to the problem of NAS in the target population, a quantitative study will be needed (Oostlander et al., 2019). The choice of the quantitative design is justified by the necessity to prove the superiority of the proposed solution to the one that is currently deployed as the alternative way of managing the needs of the specified population. Specifically, it is suggested that a randomized controlled trial (RCT) should be deployed to compare the effects of the “Eat, Sleep and Console” therapy on infants with NAS and the outcomes of the present strategy for handling the specified health issue.
Clinical Significance
The study of managing NAS in infants with the help of the “Eat, Sleep and Console” therapy has a moderate level of clinical significance. While this paper is not going to revolutionize the management of NAS in infants since it does not offer a groundbreaking innovation, it will contribute to the discourse substantially (Grisham et al., 2019). By testing the efficacy of the “Eat, Sleep and Console” therapy on infants’ ability to fight the challenges caused by the exposition to drugs, particularly, opioids, before birth. Since the described concern affects a large number of infants, it is critical to research the available opportunities.
Moreover, given the fact that the effects of NAS are likely to affect an individual’s health status throughout their entire life, early interventions aimed at alleviating the effects of exposure to drugs will have a massive effect on reducing the negative health outcomes in the future (Cree et al., 2019). In turn, this paper will contribute to fighting the NAS issue and evaluate the effects of one of the possible options. Therefore, the significance of this paper is moderate due to the urgency of the issue.
Determination of Data
The scope of the research will be restricted to a local healthcare facility, where infants with NAS are treated. To reduce the biases associated with the lack of diversity in the sample due to the location issue, the simple random sampling strategy will be used. A sample of 100 participants will be selected to ensure that the results are representative enough. The specified sample will allow determining possible connections between the research variables, as well as the existence of variation in the sample.
Statistical Analysis
To analyze the information collected during the trial, Student’s t-test will be utilized. The specified framework will allow finding the connections between the variables under analysis, specifically, the positive correlation between the use of the “Eat, Sleep and Console” therapeutic strategy and the intensity of the NAS symptoms in infants. The integration of Student’s t-test will be particularly helpful in determining whether the statistical hypothesis or the null hypothesis represents the situation with the management of NAS in infants by using the “Eat, Sleep and Console” method (Sanlorenzo et al., 2018). Namely, by evaluating the significance of differences in outcomes in the target group and the control group, one will be able to infer critical conclusions about the effects of the proposed therapy on the well-being of infants with NAS.
References
Cree, M., Jairath, P., & May, O. (2019). A hospital-level intervention to improve outcomes of opioid exposed newborns. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 48, 77-81. Web.
Grisham, L. M., Stephen, M. M., Coykendall, M. R., Kane, M. F., Maurer, J. A., & Bader, M. Y. (2019). Eat, Sleep, Console approach: a family-centered model for the treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome. Advances in Neonatal Care, 19(2), 138-144. Web.
Klaman, S. L., Isaacs, K., Leopold, A., Perpich, J., Hayashi, S., Vender, J.,… Jones, H. E. (2017). Treating women who are pregnant and parenting for opioid use disorder and the concurrent care of their infants and children: literature review to support national guidance. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 11(3), 178-190. Web.
Oostlander, S. A., Falla, J. A., Dow, K., & Fucile, S. (2019). Occupational therapy management strategies for infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: Scoping review.Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 33(2), 197-226. Web.
Sanlorenzo, L. A., Stark, A. R., & Patrick, S. W. (2018). Neonatal abstinence syndrome: an update. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(2), 182-186. Web.