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

Objective: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).study design: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.result: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.conclusion:a need for shse interventions among nicu parents exists and initial evidence suggests mi can impact shse after discharge.