Supporting parenting during infant hospitalisation for CHD
AbstractObjective:To characterise the parenting priorities of mothers and fathers of infants hospitalised with CHD and generate recommendations to support parenting during infant hospitalisation.Study design:Through online crowdsourcing, an innovative research methodology to create an online community to serve as a research sample, 79 parents of young children with CHD responded to questions about parenting during hospitalisation via private social networking site. Responses were analysed using qualitative research methods.Results:Three broad themes were identified: (1) establishing a bond with my baby, (2) asserting the parental role, and (3) coping with fear and uncertainty. Parents value provider support in restoring normalcy to the parenting experience during infant hospitalisation.Conclusions:Care teams can support parenting during infant hospitalisation by promoting parents’ roles as primary caretakers and decision-makers and attending to the emotional impact of infant hospitalisation on the family.