Parental priorities in the home care of preterm and full term newborns

Agnes Flórida Santos da Cunha1, Marina de Brito Brandão2, Ana Paula Bensemann Gontijo3

  • 1Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil.

Early Human Development
|August 25, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Parental care priorities for newborns, whether preterm or full-term, evolve over the first two months post-discharge. While bathing and navel care demands decrease, focus shifts to health and adaptation.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Parental adaptation
  • Infant development

Background:

  • Post-hospital discharge is a critical adaptation period for parents managing infant care responsibilities.
  • Preterm birth can significantly alter parental care demands and priorities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare parental care priorities for preterm versus full-term newborns in the initial two months after hospital discharge.
  • To track the evolution of these parental priorities over time.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study followed parents of 22 full-term and 19 preterm infants for two months post-discharge.
  • Parental infant care demands were assessed at three time points using semi-structured interviews.

Main Results:

  • Infant care demands were comparable between preterm and full-term groups, with significant within-group changes over time.
  • Priorities for bathing and navel care decreased significantly (p < 0.01), while concerns about infant health care increased (p < 0.01).
  • Feeding and sleep priorities reduced in the full-term group (p < 0.02), whereas adaptation to routine became a higher priority for the preterm group (p = 0.04).

Conclusions:

  • Understanding parental priorities is crucial for tailoring support strategies for families with newborns.
  • Healthcare teams can enhance specialized assistance by recognizing the dynamic nature of parental care demands for both preterm and full-term infants.
Abstract

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