The Experience of Asian Mothers Who Have Had a Premature Infant
Loading...
Authors
Chon, Susan Y. M.
Issue Date
2014
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
This qualitative study explored the experience of Asian mothers who have birthed and reared a premature infant, exploring emotions related to premature birth, coping resources, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience, and the parenting approach of Asian mothers. Eleven Asian mothers from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Filipino backgrounds whose infants were born prematurely were interviewed. A conventional qualitative content analysis approach was utilized to examine the data. The resulting collective themes shared by the mothers were as follows: initial happiness, excitement, and sense of being fortunate associated with the news of pregnancy; medical interactions raised the prospect of premature birth; hospital experience focused on discomfort and concerns about staff interactions rather than early labor; issues related to premature birth created intense short term needs for coping resources in wake of childbirth; circumstances related to premature health status created intense fear and sadness; and the perceptions of how the experience of premature birth has influenced personality and parental style. The findings of the present study suggest that the experience of birthing and rearing a premature infant is one of deep psychological significance, involving common emotions of fear, anxiety, guilt, and sadness, later followed by relief, hope, and confidence. Most importantly, this study found there was an abruptness of the transition from a complete sense of helplessness in the hospital to an overwhelming sole responsibility at home for the mothers due to a lack of proper discharge planning and preparation. As a result, the inclusion of a hospital-to-home component such as family-centered care (FCC) programs in the discharge planning process can help ease the transition from NICU to home. Clinical implications and directions for future research are also discussed.
Description
"Asians”,“Labor (Childbirth)","Mothers","Neonatal Intensive Care","Premature Birth"