The relationship between maternal age, communication and supportive relationships in the neonatal nursery for mothers of preterm infants

Abstract

The birth of a preterm infant is associated with psychological distress and disruption to parenting for adult mothers but little is known about adolescent mothers in this context. This study investigated how adult and adolescent mothers experienced parenting in the neonatal nursery, with a focus on communication and supportive relationships. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 adult and 20 adolescent mothers of preterm infants at infant discharge. Interviews were analysed using inductive descriptive content analysis. Two themes explicated mothers' experiences of communication and supportive relationships: Facilitative and inhibitory nursing behaviours and Negotiating the nursery environment. Two contextual themes shaped mothers' experiences: Expectations and realities and Practical challenges. There were significant differences between adult and adolescent mothers for each theme. Communication was important for shaping mothers' experiences of parenting in the neonatal nursery. For adult mothers communication was mostly positive and they actively negotiated the nursery environment. Adolescent mothers experienced communication as more inhibitory and intergroup attributing the nurses' communication and unsupportive behaviours to their age. Health professional recognition of the influence of maternal age on communication and mothers' experiences of parenting would enhance interpersonal interactions with adolescent mothers and facilitate their parenting.

Attachment-keeping NICU Infants Safe

“…The clinical routines in the NICU serve to further distance parents from developing attachment bonds and providing care to their infant. The medical team inadvertently contribute to parental doubts about parenting competencies by removing decision-making abilities, requiring permission in order for mothers to hold and provide care to their infant, and withholding complete and accurate information about their infants [26]. The medical priorities and routine practices further compromise attachment.…”

“…Medical staff can impact the parenting experience in the NICU both positively and negatively. NICU nursing behaviors can limit parental interaction with their infant [26].…”

“…Based on workflow assignments in the NICU, mothers can feel that their infant's needs are not met [26]. In addition, due to the complicated NICU environment mothers can feel that they are not provided with complete, comprehensible, and consistent information and they are often excluded from the decision making process [26].…”

“…Currently, NICU literature focuses on establishing adjustment and improving mental health outcomes for parents [13,14,18,19,26,[41][42][43][44][45]. Also, medical providers are encouraged to support parents when they transition from the NICU to home [32][33][34].…”

Trends in Family-Centered Care in Neonatal Intensive Care

“…1 Paradoxically, the resulting separation of newborns and parent(s) during a crucial period of bonding and attachment was found to have adverse consequences for both. 2 The birth of a premature or sick newborn can have devastating effects on parents, including fear and stress, helplessness, 3 and posttraumatic stress disorder. 4 The NICU environment can negatively influence neurobehavioral outcomes of infants.…”