Paper
Saturday, July 24, 2004
The Living Experiences of Parenting Premature Children in Taiwan
Ching-Feng Chang, RN, MSN1, Su-Fen Cheng, RN, PhD1, Li-Chuan Lin, RN, MSN2, and Ling-Hua Wang, RN, MSN2. (1) Department of Nursing, BS Division, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan, (2) Department of Nursing, BS Division, Fooyin Unversity, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan
| Learning Objective #1: Describe the living experiences of parenting premature children |
| Learning Objective #2: Describe the concerns from mothers of prematurely born children |
Objective: We explored the experiences of parenting premature children among women in Taiwan to better understand these mothers' stress. Design: Qualitative in-depth interview. Population, Sample, Setting, Years: In 2003, thirteen mothers whose uncomplicated premature children were under 3 years old were sampled from the Premature Baby Follow-up List of a regional hospital in southern Taiwan. Variables Studied Together: A five-dimensional question guide, including emotional availability, parenting control, psychiatric disturbance, knowledge base, and commitment was used. Method: Each subject received a 2.5-hour in-depth interview in her house. Their responses were tape-recorded and analyzed using the steps of Giorgi (1985) of phenomenology. Findings: Four major themes emerged from our analysis, including the impacts of premature newborns, psychosocial adaptation of the mothers, positive family supports, and the concerns about the future. The sub-themes that supported the first theme included "guilty and protective feelings", "serious health problems", and "financial burden". The sub-themes that supported the second theme included "building of the attachment", "child-centered preparation", "acquiring of caring skills", and "positive self-evaluation". The sub-themes that supported the third theme included "ssistance from family members" "ager for father's participation", and "enjoyable in-law relationship". The sub-themes that supported the fourth theme included "health and development of the child", "conflicts on parenting style", and "intention of returning to work". Conclusions: The impact of having premature baby was the most noteworthy in the first year. The extra efforts of the mothers have effectively created the sense of accomplishment and positive expectation about the future. Implication: In the first year, nursing care should focus on the alleviation of the guilty feeling, clear explanation of infant's conditions, provision of individual teaching on infant care, and encouragement of father's involvement. After that, counseling services of childhood health and developmental surveillance and parenting education should be provided to the parents.
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July 22-24, 2004