The birth of a premature infant and the support of health care professionals as experienced by the mothers

a descriptive phenomenological study

Authors

  • Nika Černe Kržišnik General hospital "Dr. Franca Derganca" Nova Gorica, Ulica padlih borcev 13a, 5290 Šempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia
  • Mirko Prosen University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9943-9037

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14528/snr.2019.53.3.750

Keywords:

preterm birth, newborn, interpersonal relations, hospitalization, motherhood

Abstract

Introduction: Health care professionals have a considerable impact on how parents experience the birth of a premature infant. The purpose of the study was to research and present findings on the mothers' experience of the birth of a premature infant.
Methods: A descriptive phenomenological analysis was carried out. The purposive sample contained eleven mothers who have experienced the premature birth of a child, delivered at between 24 and 35 weeks of gestation. The youngest mother at birth was 24 age old and the oldest mother at birth was 36. For eight mothers premature birth was their first birth experience. The research was conducted between May and June 2017. Data was analysed using the Giorgi approach, which is typically used in phenomenological research.
Results: The description has been divided into four main topics that discuss the experience of mothers with preterm childbirth: (1) course of childbirth: wishes and expectations, (2) representation of motherhood: feelings, attachment, empathy, memories, (3) feelings and care for a premature infant in the postpartum period, and (4) (un)professional behaviour of health care staff.
Discussion and conclusion: The research has found that most mothers tried to understand the causes for premature birth. Mothers highly valued the support of relatives, health care professionals and other mothers of premature infants. Most mothers experienced negative emotions during childbirth and hospitalisation and an empathic attitude of the staff attitude gave them encouragement, hope and trust.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biographies

Nika Černe Kržišnik, General hospital "Dr. Franca Derganca" Nova Gorica, Ulica padlih borcev 13a, 5290 Šempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia

BSc

Mirko Prosen, University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia

Assistant Professor, PhD, MSc, BSc, RN

References

Abuidhail, J., Al-Motlaq, M., Mrayan, L., & Salameh, T., 2016. The Lived experience of Jordanian parents in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Journal of Nursing Research, 25(2), pp. 156−162. https://doi.org/10.1097/jnr.0000000000000134 PMid:28277396

Božnar, R., 2012. Doživljanje prezgodnjega poroda. Obzornik zdravstvene nege, 46, pp. 324–327. Available at: https://obzornik.zbornica-zveza.si:8443/index.php/ObzorZdravNeg/article/view/2903 [18. 7. 2019].

Currie, G., Dosani, A., Premji, S.S., Reilly, S.M., Lodha, A.K., & Young, M., 2018. Caring for late preterm infants: public health nurses' experiences. BMC Nursing, 17, art. ID 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-018-0286-y PMid:29713242; PMCid:PMC5907172

Černetič, M., 2017. Čuječnost kot orodje za spoprijemanje s stresom na delovnem mestu: Tehnika STOP. Mednarodno inovativno poslovanje 9(2). Available at: https://www.dlib.si/stream/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-9QEICWN8/e78cc8b6-9fc4-4e60-bae5-0c9b8e36116b/PDF [18. 7. 2019].

Dadkhahtehrani, T., Eskandari, N., Khalajinia, Z., & Ahmari-Tehran, H., 2018. Experiences of fathers with inpatient premature neonates: phenomenological interpretative analysis. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 23(1), pp. 71–78. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_21_17 PMid:29344051; PMCid:PMC5769190

Fleury, C., Parpinelli, M.A. & Makuch, M.Y., 2014. Perceptions and actions of healthcare professionals regarding the motherchild relationship with premature babies in an intermediate neonatal intensive care unit: a qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 14(1), p. 313. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-313 PMid:25201283; PMCid:PMC4177757

Gibbs, D., Boshoff, K. & Stanley, M., 2015. Becoming the parent of a preterm infant: a meta-ethnographic synthesis. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(8), pp. 475−487. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308022615586799

Georgios, B., Nikoletta, T., Panagioula, M.-B., Antonios, P., Ioannis, M., Ioanna, T., et al., 2015. Preterm birth and maternal psychological health. Journal of Health Psychology, 20(11), pp. 1388–1396. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105313512353 PMid:24323334

Giorgi, A., 2008. Concerning a serious misunderstanding of the essence of the Phenomenological Method in psychology.Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 39(1), pp. 33−58. https://doi.org/10.1163/156916208X311610

Gubanc, A, 2007. Dvig kakovosti pediatrične zdravstvene nege z individualizirano razvojno oskrbo otroka in mladostnika. In: Zbornica zdravstvene in babiške nege Slovenije, Zveza društev medicinskih sester, babic in zdravstvenih tehnikov Slovenije, Sekcija medicinskih sester in zdravstvenih tehnikov v pediatriji, ed. Komunikacija in kakovost v pediatrični zdravstveni negi: zbornik predavanj. Portorož: Zveza društev medicinskih sester in zdravstvenih tehnikov Slovenije, pp. 23−26.

Hakstad, R.B., Obstfelder, A., & Øberg, G.K., 2016. Parents'perceptions of primary health care physiotherapy with preterm infants: normalization, clarity, and trust. Qualitative Health Research, 26(10), pp. 1341−1350. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315608137 PMid:264494957

Gåre Kymre, I. & Bondas, T., 2013. Balancing preterm infants'developmental needs with parents' readiness for skin-toskin care: a phenomenological study. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 8(1), art. ID 21370. https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v8i0.21370 PMid:23849269; PMCid:PMC3710397

Kodeks etike v zdravstveni negi in oskrbi Slovenije, 2014. Ljubljana: Zbornica zdravstvene in babiške nege Slovenije – Zveza strokovnih društev medicinskih sester, babic in zdravstvenih tehnikov Slovenije.

Korhonen, A., Haho, A. & Pölkki, T., 2013. Nurses' perspectives on the suffering of preterm infants. Nursing Ethics, 20(7), pp. 798−807. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733012475251 PMid:23442785

Leung, L., 2015. Validity, reliability, and generalizability in qualitative research. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 4(3), pp. 324–327. https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.161306 PMid:26288766; PMCid:PMC4535087

Malakouti, J., Jabraeeli, M., Valizadeh, S. & Babapour, J., 2013 Mothers' experience of having a preterm infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: a phenomenological study. Iranian Journal of Critical Care Nursing, 5(4), pp. 175−181.

Matua, G.A. & Van, D.W.D.M., 2015. Differentiating between descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research approaches. Nurse Researcher, 22(6), pp. 22−27. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.22.6.22.e1344 PMid:26168810

Miele, M., Pacagnella, R.C., Osis, M., Angelini, C.R., Souza, J.L., & Cecatti, J.G., 2018. "Babies born early?": silences about prematurity and their consequences. Reproductive health, 15(1), p. 154. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-018-0594-4 PMid:30208906; PMCid:PMC6136169

Naveršnik, M., Burja, S., Hajdinjak, D. & Tapajner, A., 2011. Vpliv blage nedonošenosti na dolžino bivanja v bolnišnici po rojstvu. Medicinski Razgledi, 50, pp. 137−148.

Nyqvist, K.H., & Kylberg, E., 2008. Application of the baby friendly hospital initiative to neonatal care: suggestions by swedish mothers of very preterm infants. Journal of Human Lactation, 24(3), pp. 252−262. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334408319156 PMid:18689712

Patil S., 2014, Level of stress and coping strategies seen among parents of neonates. Journal of Family Psychology, 3, pp. 579–585.

Reid, T., 2000. Maternal identity in preterm birth. Journal of Child Health Care, 4(1), pp. 23−29. https://doi.org/10.1177/136749350000400104 PMid:10889662

Polit, B. & Tatano Beck, C., 2018. Essentials of Nursing research: appraising evidence for nursing practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, pp. 295−309.

Steyn, E., Poggenpoel, M. & Myburgh, C., 2017. Lived experiences of parents of premature babies in the intensive care unit in a private hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Curationis, 40(1), pp. e1−e8. https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v40i1.1698 PMid:28281766; PMCid:PMC6091584

Urbančič, K., 1998. Komunikacija s starši prezgodaj rojenega otroka v enoti intenzivne nege in terapije. Obzornik zdravstvene nege, 32(3/4), pp. 155−166. Available at: http://www.obzornikzdravstvenenege.si/1995.29.2.127 [5. 7. 2018].

Verdenik, I., Novak-Antolič, Z. & Zupan, J., 2013. Perinatologia Slovenica II: slovenski perinatalni rezultati za obdobje 2002-11. Ljubljana: Združenje za perinatalno medicino SZD.

World Medical Association, 2013. World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Journal of the American Medical Association, 310(20), pp. 2191–2194. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053 PMid:24141714

Yin, K.R., 2011. Qualitative Research from Start to Finish. New York, London: The Guilford Press, p. 79.

Published

2019-09-15

How to Cite

Černe Kržišnik, N., & Prosen, M. (2019). The birth of a premature infant and the support of health care professionals as experienced by the mothers: a descriptive phenomenological study. Slovenian Nursing Review, 53(3), 200–210. https://doi.org/10.14528/snr.2019.53.3.750

Issue

Section

Original scientific article

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2 3 > >>