Nursing Interventions to Prevent Preterm Birth: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this scoping review was to clarify nursing interventions and their effects for the prevention of preterm birth.

Methods: We researched domestic and international studies based on Ichu-shi Web, PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and the Cochrane Library. We included intervention studies aimed at preventing preterm birth and studies that included the number of preterm births or preterm birth rates in their outcomes.

Result: Twenty-seven studies were selected. Most of the nursing interventions were carried out by trained care providers. We identified interventions with a single item and those with a complex combination of items. The effect of the intervention differed depending on the timing of its initiation. Nursing intervention items can be classified as follows: ‘preparing the body’, ‘preparing the mind’, and ‘preparing the environment’.

Conclusion: A combination of nursing interventions to prevent preterm birth is effective when provided by trained caregivers on an ongoing basis from the first trimester.