A qualitative study: Mothers of late preterm infants relate their experiences of community-based care

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dc.contributor.authorPremji, Shahirose
dc.contributor.authorCurrie, Genevieve
dc.contributor.authorReilly, Sandra
dc.contributor.authorDosani, Aliyah
dc.contributor.authorMay Oliver, Lynette
dc.contributor.authorLodha, Abhay K
dc.contributor.authorYoung, Marilyn
dc.date.accessioned2017-07-10T21:28:50Z
dc.date.available2017-07-10T21:28:50Z
dc.date.issued2017-03
dc.description.abstractPurpose In Alberta, the high occurrence of late preterm infants and early hospital discharge of mother-infant dyads has implications for postpartum care in the community. Shortened hospital stay and complexities surrounding the care of biologically and developmentally immature late preterm infants heighten anxiety and fears. Our descriptive phenomenological study explores mothers’ experience of caring for their late preterm infants in the community. Methods Eleven mothers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Interview transcripts were analysed using an interpretive thematic approach. Findings The mothers’ hospital experience informed their perspective that being a late preterm infant was not a “big deal,” and they tended to treat their infant as normal. “Feeding was really problem,” especially the variability in feeding effectiveness, which was not anticipated. Failing to recognize late preterm infants’ feeding distress exemplified lack of knowledge of feeding cues and tendencies to either rationalize or minimize feeding concerns. Public health nurses represent a source of informational support for managing neonatal morbidities associated with being late preterm; however, maternal experiences with public health nurses varied. Some nurses used a directive style that overwhelmed certain mothers. Seeing multiple public health nurses and care providers was not always effective, given inconsistent and contradictory guidance to care. These new and changing situations increased maternal anxiety and stress and influenced maternal confidence in care. Fathers, family, and friends were important sources of emotional support. Conclusion After discharge, mothers report their lack of preparation to meet the special needs of their late preterm infants. Current approaches to community-based care can threaten maternal confidence in care. New models and pathways of care for late preterm infants and their families need to be responsive to the spectrum of feeding issues encountered, limit duplication of services, and ensure consistent and effective care that parents will accept.en_US
dc.description.refereedYesen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe study was funded by the Alberta Centre for Child, Family & Community Research (http://research4children.com/). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.en_US
dc.identifier.citationPremji, S. S., Currie, G., Reilly, S., Dosani, A., Oliver, L. M., Lodha, A. K., & Young, M. (2017). A qualitative study: mothers of late preterm infants relate their experiences of community-based care. PloS one, 12(3), e0174419.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174419
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/52134
dc.languageNursing
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherPloS ONEen_US
dc.publisher.corporateUniversity of Calgary
dc.publisher.facultyNursingen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen_US
dc.publisher.urlhttp://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0174419en_US
dc.titleA qualitative study: Mothers of late preterm infants relate their experiences of community-based careen_US
dc.typejournal article
thesis.degree.disciplineNursing
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