Mothers of babies requiring special care: Attitudes and experiences

Abstract

The birth and admission of an infant for specialized neonatal care is a time of stress and upheaval for parents. Data were collected on the experience of 420 families whose babies had been admitted to one of 23 neonatal units in England. Mothers perceptions of their baby and the care provided are described and their relationship with other factors, including parity, the severity of illness, gestational age and duration of stay examined. In the short term having a small, immature, often sick infant appears to affect mothers' attitudes and perceptions of their ability to parent such an infant. However, in the longer term, as the infant progresses and develops, these effects appear to be diminished, though for mothers whose babies were very premature and small there appeared to be longer lasting effects.