Values of mothers of low birth weight infants in the NICU

The research reported in this article explored the concept of values as operationalized by the mothers of infants requiring neonatal intensive care. In the study, which used an exploratory design, data were collected from mothers (n = 14) of infants admitted to the neonatal unit with a primary diagnosis of low birth weight. Participants were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide. Transcripts were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Four themes illustrating the value perceptions of mothers related to their low birth weight infants and the neonatal intensive care experience were identified. The emergent themes describe the mothers' desire to parent their children and the mothers' values related to the integration of technology and human interaction in the environment of the neonatal intensive care unit.