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Parents' Experiences of Feeding Preterm Infants After Hospital Discharge: A Scoping Review

Juliane Alves Santos1, John Kearney1, Aileen Kennedy1

  • 1School of Biological, Health and Sports Sciences, Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

Maternal & Child Nutrition
|June 17, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Caring for preterm infants post-hospital discharge is challenging for parents, involving emotional, practical, and identity issues. Enhanced support is crucial for parental confidence and infant well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Parental adaptation
  • Qualitative research synthesis

Background:

  • Feeding preterm infants after hospital discharge presents significant challenges for parents, extending beyond nutrition.
  • The lived experiences of parents during this critical transition are not well-understood.
  • Optimal nutrition and parental support are vital for infant development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To map and synthesize qualitative evidence on parents' lived experiences feeding preterm infants post-discharge.
  • To identify key challenges, coping strategies, and support system gaps.
  • To inform improved care strategies for preterm infants and their families.

Main Methods:

  • Scoping review guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute framework.
  • Comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus.
  • Inclusion of 38 qualitative studies (1995-2025) using the Population-Concept-Context framework.

Main Results:

  • Five thematic domains emerged: feeding challenges, emotional/identity dimensions, support systems, coping strategies, and complementary feeding.
  • Mothers reported significant emotional strain, inadequate support, and conflicting advice.
  • Feeding practices were influenced by neonatal intensive care unit routines and infant immaturity; socioeconomic factors played a role.

Conclusions:

  • Post-discharge feeding of preterm infants is complex and emotionally demanding.
  • Comprehensive, individualized, and emotionally attuned support is necessary for parental confidence and infant well-being.
  • Gaps exist in understanding paternal roles, longitudinal experiences, and complementary feeding practices.
Abstract

Keywords:
breastfeedingparentspostnatal carepreterm infantsqualitative researchscoping reviewweaning

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