ATTACHMENT FOR PRETERM INFANT: PERSPECTIVE OF MOTHERS, NURSES, ANDPEDIATRICIANS IN NAKHON PHANOM PROVINCE

Abstract

     Preterm infant birth is a difficult situation for mother, and challenge for professional health care providers to promote mother-preterm infant attachment. This study aimed was to describe experience of mothers, professional nurses, and pediatricians about prematurity situation at Nakhon Phanom province. This study focused on understanding current situation of attachment from the perspectives of eight mothers having preterm infants, five professional nurses, and two pediatricians in Nakhon Phanom hospital. In-depth interview technique was utilized for data collection. Content analysis was used to analyze data.

      The study found that the overriding theme was “maternal attachment uncertainty”. This main theme emerged from 6 categories that consisted of affection of mothers was a root of attachment, family support enhanced maternal confidence to attach preterm infants, delayed visits affected delayed attachment, mothers needed early help from nurses to promote attachment with preterm infants, mothers felt afraid to attach with preterm infants, and health care providers needed to promote mother-preterm infants attachment but lack of good practice guideline. The results reflected both the promoting and inhibiting maternal attachment to their preterm infants.Therefore, neonatal nurses should crate the nursing program to encourage mother to maintain the promoting maternal attachment, and solving the inhibiting maternal attachment for enhancing attachment in preterm infants