Infant readjustment from rural hospital to home

This descriptive study examined parental perceptions of postdischarge behavioral changes in infants hospitalized for short-term treatment of respiratory problems. The sample consisted of 50 infants, aged 6 weeks to 12 months, who were hospitalized due to respiratory problems. Parents were interviewed in the home setting within 48 hours of the infants' discharge from the hospital. Results of the study indicated that behavioral changes in infants and changes in the parent-infant interaction were frequent after short-term hospitalization. The findings also provide direction for intervention in reducing parental anxiety through provision of support and anticipatory guidance to parents before the discharge of their infant from the hospital.