Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country
Abstract Background Preterm delivery is the birth of a baby before 37 weeks of gestation. This global phenomenon is a critical issue of concern especially in developing countries that are resource-constrained when it comes to the management of preterm babies. Complications associated with prematurit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-05-01
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| Series: | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03872-9 |
| _version_ | 1818597557579808768 |
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| author | Isabella Garti Elorm Donkor Nafisatu Musah Evans Osei Appiah Sandra Gyekye Awube Menlah Cynthia Pomaa Akuoko |
| author_facet | Isabella Garti Elorm Donkor Nafisatu Musah Evans Osei Appiah Sandra Gyekye Awube Menlah Cynthia Pomaa Akuoko |
| author_sort | Isabella Garti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Preterm delivery is the birth of a baby before 37 weeks of gestation. This global phenomenon is a critical issue of concern especially in developing countries that are resource-constrained when it comes to the management of preterm babies. Complications associated with prematurity contribute significantly to under-five mortality and are linked with feelings of despair, grief, and anxiety among mothers. Methods This was a qualitative descriptive study in an urban setting in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Eleven mothers whose babies had been discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit in a major hospital and resided in Accra were interviewed in their homes using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed inductively by content analysis. Results All the mothers had formal education and the mean maternal age was 27.9 years. The majority of the mothers were multiparous. The gestational age at birth ranged from 32 to 34 weeks and the average birth weight of their babies was 1.61 kg. Four major themes emerged which included: Around the clock care; mothers’ self-perceptions and attitudes of significant others; mothers’ health and wellbeing; and support. Most of the mothers experienced physical exhaustion from the extra demands involved with care, had negative emotions, and unmet social needs. Conclusions The findings indicate that home management of preterm babies poses multiple stressors and is associated with poor psychological and physical wellbeing among mothers. Hence, the need for extensive education and identification of other social support systems to augment facility-based care for mothers and their preterm babies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T11:49:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18853c6b039448b5b8f76123dbd40de4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2393 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T11:49:42Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| spelling | doaj.art-18853c6b039448b5b8f76123dbd40de42022-12-21T22:32:45ZengBMCBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth1471-23932021-05-012111910.1186/s12884-021-03872-9Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income countryIsabella Garti0Elorm Donkor1Nafisatu Musah2Evans Osei Appiah3Sandra Gyekye4Awube Menlah5Cynthia Pomaa Akuoko6College of Nursing and Midwifery, Charles Darwin UniversityDepartment of Nursing and Midwifery, Greater Accra Regional Directorate, Ghana Health ServiceDepartment of Nursing and Midwifery, Trust Mother and Child HospitalDepartment of Nursing and Midwifery, Valley View UniversityDepartment of Nursing and Midwifery, Valley View UniversityCollege of Nursing and Midwifery, Charles Darwin UniversityDepartment of Nursing, Christian Service University CollegeAbstract Background Preterm delivery is the birth of a baby before 37 weeks of gestation. This global phenomenon is a critical issue of concern especially in developing countries that are resource-constrained when it comes to the management of preterm babies. Complications associated with prematurity contribute significantly to under-five mortality and are linked with feelings of despair, grief, and anxiety among mothers. Methods This was a qualitative descriptive study in an urban setting in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Eleven mothers whose babies had been discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit in a major hospital and resided in Accra were interviewed in their homes using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed inductively by content analysis. Results All the mothers had formal education and the mean maternal age was 27.9 years. The majority of the mothers were multiparous. The gestational age at birth ranged from 32 to 34 weeks and the average birth weight of their babies was 1.61 kg. Four major themes emerged which included: Around the clock care; mothers’ self-perceptions and attitudes of significant others; mothers’ health and wellbeing; and support. Most of the mothers experienced physical exhaustion from the extra demands involved with care, had negative emotions, and unmet social needs. Conclusions The findings indicate that home management of preterm babies poses multiple stressors and is associated with poor psychological and physical wellbeing among mothers. Hence, the need for extensive education and identification of other social support systems to augment facility-based care for mothers and their preterm babies.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03872-9PretermPrematureBirthInfant carePostnatalExperiences |
| spellingShingle | Isabella Garti Elorm Donkor Nafisatu Musah Evans Osei Appiah Sandra Gyekye Awube Menlah Cynthia Pomaa Akuoko Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Preterm Premature Birth Infant care Postnatal Experiences |
| title | Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country |
| title_full | Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country |
| title_fullStr | Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country |
| title_short | Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country |
| title_sort | mothers experiences of caring for preterm babies at home qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle income country |
| topic | Preterm Premature Birth Infant care Postnatal Experiences |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03872-9 |
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