Transitional care experiences of caregivers of preterm infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit: A qualitative descriptive study

Abstract

A preterm infant is a baby born before 37 weeks of gestation.According to data from the World Health Organization, each year, more than 15 million infants are born preterm worldwide, and about 10% of these or about 1,170,000 preterm infants are born in China (Zou et al., 2014). Because of their physical immaturity, preterm infants have a high incidence of complications such as hypoglycaemia, apnoea, infection, feeding difficulties, necrotizing enterocolitis and anaemia (Caldas et al., 2018). Preterm infants are usually admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after birth. To prevent cross infection, the NICU of children's hospital restricts parents' visits to their children. There are webcams in the ward, and caregivers can use the hospital visiting machine to see their children. Preterm infants can only be discharged when their condition meets the following discharge criteria: stable vital signs; corrected gestational age of 34 weeks; weight greater than 2,000 g along with continuous growth; complete oral feeding; stable temperature and vital signs at room temperature; and if a disease is present, full recovery from the disease or partial recovery until treatment at home is acceptable (Picone et al., 2011). Compared with their peers, preterm children require more intensive care after discharge, which can be challenging and causes considerable stress for the parents and other caregivers (Msall, 2019). The parents of preterm infants often experience more severe negative emotional reactions and psychological pressures than those experienced by the parents of healthy full-term infants, and thus, they require ongoing care and

Not being able to hug our baby before the cables: Early experiences of parents with premature babies

“…In an integrative review study, it has been emphasized that providing home care needs after discharge is of vital importance for both the baby and the parents 40 . In addition, there are many studies showing that parents need support due to different home care needs of preterm babies, parents' inexperience and lack of knowledge about preterm baby care 27,41–44 …”

“…However, parents and other caregivers of preterm babies are often inexperienced in providing this type of care and lack relevant medical knowledge. Furthermore, due to negative emotional reactions and psychological pressures, parents need constant support during the discharge period 27,41–44 …”

“…40 In addition, there are many studies showing that parents need support due to different home care needs of preterm babies, parents' inexperience and lack of knowledge about preterm baby care. 27,[41][42][43][44] Compared to their peers, preterm babies have different home care needs after discharge. However, parents and other caregivers of preterm babies are often inexperienced in providing this type of care and lack relevant medical knowledge.…”

“…Furthermore, due to negative emotional reactions and psychological pressures, parents need constant support during the discharge period. 27,[41][42][43][44] Postdischarge difficulties for parents include a lack of confidence in their ability to care for their babies independently as well as an increasing concern about their babies' weight, nutrition, sleep, and placement. 24 In one study, parents reported that after discharge, they were concerned about the health and well-being of their babies.…”

“Breastfeeding at Night Is Awesome” Mothers’ Intentions of Continuation of Breastfeeding Extreme and Very Preterm Babies upon Discharge from a Kangaroo Mother Care Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in South Africa

“…A recent integrative review of the literature corroborated previous findings that the quality of discharge teaching is a strong predictor of discharge readiness [ 22 ]. Previous studies have established that successful transition from the KMC or neonatal unit to the home is fundamental for the long-term health and well-being of preterm infants [ 16 , 22 , 25 ]. The mother’s discharge planning increases the mother’s readiness for the infant’s transition from hospital to home [ 26 , 27 ].…”