Neonatal outcomes related to parental holding during therapeutic hypothermia for neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy: a systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVE

This review will evaluate neonatal outcomes related to parental holding during therapeutic hypothermia for treatment of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in neonates.

INTRODUCTION

Neonates diagnosed with or at risk for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, an acquired brain injury at birth, receive therapeutic hypothermia as a neuroprotective intervention. However, despite a lack of evidence on associated harm, parents are often restricted from holding the newborn until the therapeutic hypothermia treatment is completed.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: The review will include all experimental and non-experimental quantitative studies evaluating neonatal outcomes related to parental holding during therapeutic hypothermia treatment. Studies conducted in any clinical settings and involving newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy related to perinatal asphyxia and/or birth depression receiving therapeutic hypothermia will be considered (eg, neonatal or pediatric intensive care units). Outcomes of interest will include physiologic, biophysiologic, biobehavioral, and neurological outcomes; adverse events; and care outcomes (length of stay, feeding).

METHODS

The systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Using a stepwise process, predetermined keywords will be used to search several electronic databases including CINAHL (EBSCOhost) Cochrane Library, Embase.com, MEDLINE (Ovid), and Scopus. Independent reviewers will review titles and abstracts, perform a full-text review, and extract data from eligible studies. Disagreements will be resolved through consensus or with another reviewer. The quality of included studies will be evaluated with JBI appraisal tools.

REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD420251241188.