Abstract
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.
Highlights
An estimated 15 million premature babies are born worldwide each year, more than one in ten births [1,2,3]
Based on all of this, we considered that it was necessary to know the depth of the effect that the arrival of a premature baby has on the family, during the hospital stay and during the whole process, until the return home
The results are described according to the different sections of the questionnaire: family environment, hospital stay and return home
Summary
An estimated 15 million premature babies are born worldwide each year, more than one in ten births [1,2,3]. A preterm baby is defined as a child born at less than 37 weeks of pregnancy or 259 days post-conception, while a full-term delivery is considered when the birth is between 37 and 40 weeks of gestation [1,5]. When a baby is born preterm, its hospitalisation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit can negatively affect the family organisation as it imposes changes in the daily routine of the newborn’s parents and requires adaptation to the new roles. Giving birth to a premature or sick baby is a stressful event for parents [6,7,8]. When the baby goes home after discharge from hospital, the support of the health care team comes to an end. Discharge from hospital of preterm infants can be a critical event for parents that requires significant support from healthcare professionals
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