biostudies-literatureMcKechnie ACNational Institute of Nursing ResearchUniversity of MinnesotaNINR NIH HHSNational Institutes of Health101687https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10732467biostudies-literatureUnknown72<h4>Background</h4>Following prenatal diagnosis of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), parents encounter emotional distress while facing caregiving challenges. Supportive psycho-educational interventions using mobile health (mHealth) can make care more accessible.<h4>Objectives</h4>We tested a novel nurse-guided mHealth care program, Preparing Heart and Mind^™ (PHM^™), with the objectives of examining feasibility and estimating the effect of the intervention on parents' emotional distress.<h4>Methods</h4>This pilot study design randomized participants using a 2:1 intervention to control ratio. Analysis involved description of retention, and intervention attendance and engagement, and adjusted linear mixed models to estimate group differences in depressive (CES-D), anxiety (STAI-S), and traumatic stress (IES-r) symptoms.<h4>Results</h4>The sample included 55 parents (n=38 PHM^™ group, n=17 control). Complete retention of 37 (67%) parents included 29 (76%) in the PHM^™ group and 8 (47%) control. Most attrition was due to infant death (7 parents), transplant referral (2 parents), or postnatal diagnostic ineligibility (4 parents). For the PHM^™ group, ≥96% of parents attended pre- and postnatal sessions and most (65%) messaged with the nurse. mHealth engagement was highest prenatally, with handling uncertainty the most viewed topic (average 94% pages viewed). In linear mixed models analyses, the PHM^™ group had on average 4.84 points lower depression (95% CI: -10.68-1.04), 6.56 points lower anxiety (-14.04-0.92), and 6.28 points lower trauma (-14.44-1.88) scores by study end.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Findings suggest that a nurse-guided mHealth approach is feasible and may contribute to a clinically important reduction in parents' emotional distress.Progress in pediatric cardiologyNurse-guided Mobile Health Care Program to Reduce Emotional Distress Experienced by Parents of Infants Prenatally Diagnosed with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: A Pilot Study.PMC10732467F31NR020577F31 NR020577Iwaszko Wagner TSanchez Mejia AAShah KMMcKechnie ACElgersma KMTrebilcock AHallock CAmbrose MBfalseNurse-guided Mobile Health Care Program to Reduce Emotional Distress Experienced by Parents of Infants Prenatally Diagnosed with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: A Pilot Study.<h4>Background</h4>Following prenatal diagnosis of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), parents encounter emotional distress while facing caregiving challenges. Supportive psycho-educational interventions using mobile health (mHealth) can make care more accessible.<h4>Objectives</h4>We tested a novel nurse-guided mHealth care program, Preparing Heart and Mind^™ (PHM^™), with the objectives of examining feasibility and estimating the effect of the intervention on parents' emotional distress.<h4>Methods</h4>This pilot study design randomized participants using a 2:1 intervention to control ratio. Analysis involved description of retention, and intervention attendance and engagement, and adjusted linear mixed models to estimate group differences in depressive (CES-D), anxiety (STAI-S), and traumatic stress (IES-r) symptoms.<h4>Results</h4>The sample included 55 parents (n=38 PHM^™ group, n=17 control). Complete retention of 37 (67%) parents included 29 (76%) in the PHM^™ group and 8 (47%) control. Most attrition was due to infant death (7 parents), transplant referral (2 parents), or postnatal diagnostic ineligibility (4 parents). For the PHM^™ group, ≥96% of parents attended pre- and postnatal sessions and most (65%) messaged with the nurse. mHealth engagement was highest prenatally, with handling uncertainty the most viewed topic (average 94% pages viewed). In linear mixed models analyses, the PHM^™ group had on average 4.84 points lower depression (95% CI: -10.68-1.04), 6.56 points lower anxiety (-14.04-0.92), and 6.28 points lower trauma (-14.44-1.88) scores by study end.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Findings suggest that a nurse-guided mHealth approach is feasible and may contribute to a clinically important reduction in parents' emotional distress.2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Mar2026-04-07T21:15:31.78Z2025-04-20T01:45:29.283ZS-EPMC107324673813037410.1016/j.ppedcard.2023.101687