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"Babies born early?" - silences about prematurity and their consequences
Maria J O Miele1, Rodolfo C Pacagnella2, Maria J D Osis1,3
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medical Science, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Reproductive Health
|September 14, 2018
Summary
Communication breakdowns between parents and healthcare providers regarding preterm birth are prevalent. This study highlights critical information gaps and failures in care during prenatal, delivery, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission phases.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Maternal-fetal medicine
- Healthcare communication
Background:
- Parent-professional communication is crucial in neonatal care.
- Understanding communication dynamics surrounding prematurity is essential for improving infant and family outcomes.
- Existing literature lacks comprehensive qualitative insights into communication during the critical transition from delivery to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission for premature infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and describe parent-health professional communication patterns concerning prematurity.
- To identify communication challenges faced by mothers of premature newborns and healthcare providers.
- To analyze communication from delivery through NICU admission.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study design.
- Data collection through tape-recorded interviews and focus groups.
- Inclusion of mothers of premature newborns and healthcare professionals in southeast Brazil.
Main Results:
- The term "premature" was notably absent during prenatal care discussions.
- Pregnant women reported a lack of information regarding preterm birth.
- Failures in medical care included inadequate response to reported symptoms and poor communication among medical teams, mothers, and families during delivery and NICU admission.
Conclusions:
- A significant gap exists in communication between mothers and health professionals regarding preterm birth.
- The period between "born too soon" and "die too soon" is fraught with stress, fear, and distance, negatively impacting communication.
- Improved antenatal, delivery, and NICU communication strategies are needed to support families of premature infants.