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The Impact of a Preterm Baby Arrival in a Family: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Pilot Study
María Jiménez-Palomares1, María Fernández-Rejano2, Elisa María Garrido-Ardila1
1ADOLOR Research Group, Department of Medical-Surgical Therapy, Medicine Faculty, Extremadura University, 06006 Badajoz, Spain.
Insights
The arrival of a premature baby significantly impacts parental roles and daily life, causing significant disruption during hospitalization and after returning home. Addressing these challenges is crucial for effective family-centered care.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Care
- Family Studies
- Neonatal Health
Background:
- Rising rates of premature births necessitate understanding family impacts.
- Premature infants require Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission, altering family dynamics.
- NICU admission disrupts family routines and requires adaptation to new roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the parental perception of the effects of a premature baby's arrival.
- To understand the challenges faced by families with premature infants.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional descriptive observational study.
- Online ad-hoc questionnaire with 35 questions across three sections: family environment, hospital stay, and return home.
- Data collected from parents of premature infants in Extremadura, Spain.
Main Results:
- Over half of parents reported a delay in acquiring their parental role; 86.8% feared for their baby's health.
- Most parents modified routines (94.3%), experienced sleep disturbances (69.8%), altered eating habits (84.9%), and lost personal time (88.5%).
- Family normality recovery ranged from 4-11 months; many parents neglected personal appearance (84.9%) or reduced work hours.
Conclusions:
- Premature births profoundly affect parents' family environment, disrupting daily life and occupations.
- Preterm care programs should address parental occupational imbalances for effective family-centered care.
- Integrating parental support into care plans can meet family needs and improve outcomes.
Background:
The rate of premature births is increasing every day, with an estimated 15 million premature babies born worldwide each year. When a child is born prematurely, he or she is transferred to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), requiring special care on an ongoing basis. The admission of the newborn to these units can negatively affect the family routine as it generates changes and requires adaptation to new roles.
Objectives:
The objective of the present study was to understand the effect of the arrival of a premature baby on the family, based on the parents' perception.
Methods:
A cross-sectional descriptive observational study conducted by means of a self-administered online ad-hoc questionnaire which collected information related to the situation of the relatives of premature infants in the region of Extremadura (Spain). The questionnaire consisted of a total of 35 questions, divided into three sections: 'family environment', 'stay in hospital' and 'return home'.
Results:
Among the 53 responses obtained from fathers and mothers, 44 were from mothers. 53.6% of the respondents felt a delay in the acquisition of their parental role and 86.8% were afraid for their baby. During hospital stay, most of the parents had to modify their routines (94.3%), 69.8% suffered from sleep disturbances, 84.9% changed their eating habits and 88.5% referred to loss of time for themselves. Once at home, the time it took to recover their family normality ranged from 4 to 11 months, while 84.9% of respondents neglected their personal appearance and more than half had to give up or reduce their working hours.
Conclusion:
The arrival of a premature baby has a strong impact on the parents' family environment, altering their daily routines and occupations both in hospital and at home. If preterm care programmes take into account these possible occupational imbalances, it will not only meet the needs of the parents but also provide family-centred care.
