scholarly journals Parents’ Experiences during their Infant’s Transition from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Home: A Qualitative Study

Author(s):  
Sharon Hutchinson ◽  
Marydee Spillett ◽  
Mary Cronin

Limited literature exists which examines how parents of infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) transition from their infant’s NICU hospital stay to home. This study examines the question, “What are the experiences of parents during their infant’s transition from the NICU to home? Grounded theory methods served as the paradigm to explore twelve NICU parents’ experiences during their infant’s transition. The basic social psychological process identified was “becoming a parent” which was based on the core problem “I’m not a parent.” Analysis of data contributed to a model described by the researchers as the resultant Model of Parental Progression that describes how the parents proceeded through their experiences of their infants’ transitions from the NICU to home.

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana Barbosa Pereira ◽  
Ana Cristina Freitas de Vilhena Abrão ◽  
Conceição Vieira da Silva Ohara ◽  
Circéa Amália Ribeiro

A qualitative study which has Symbolic Interactionism as theoretical framework and Interpretative Interactionism as its methodological one, aiming to unveil motherly experiences against prematurity peculiarities that hinder breastfeeding during infant's hospitalization at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Were interviewed 13 mothers of preterm infants assisted at an Outpatient Follow-up Clinic of Montes Claros MG, Brazil. Results show that as trying to breastfeed a premature infant, the mother interacts with situations signified by her as obstacles to breastfeeding: the "torment" of their child's hospitalization and clinical instability, the fear of baby's death, its difficulty to suck, the late start of breastfeeding interpreted a something difficult, as a risk to weight. We consider that although breastfeeding a preterm infant is a challenge, appropriate professional conducts and hospital procedures might facilitate it and therefore should be implemented, aiming at promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding.


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