SACM - Ireland
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Item Restricted The experience of parents of premature infants with feeding documented in published autobiographies: a qualitative study(Trinity College Dublin, 2024-08-30) Alsunaydi, Sarah; Walshe, MargaretBackground Preterm births have been increasing worldwide and expected to increase in the future. The stress of the medical complexities and long-term consequences of having a premature infant (PI) places parents at a higher risk for psychosocial and emotional distress. Feeding is considered the anchor of infant nurture and care. Failure to achieve successful oral feeding often results in stress and feelings of failure in parents (Quinn, 2008; Vizzari et al., 2023). The ongoing struggle with intense negative emotions and parental adjustment in caring for a PI continues beyond the infancy stage. (Grundvig Nylund et al., 2020). Aims This study aims to explore the lived-experience of parents of premature infants (PoPIs) in regard to feeding through autobiographical accounts. The key objectives that guided this study were: to explore the commonly occurring themes and emotions that PoPIs experience when it comes to feeding and confirm defined themes that emerged using experienced speech-language therapists (SLTs) working closely with PoPIs. Methods Ten autobiographical accounts were used as a data source to explore the experience of PoPIs with feeding. Texts retrieved were manually inspected for information around the lived-experience of parents feeding their PIs. Description of the feeding experience were scanned and compiled to form a data set. Data was analysed using the six-step Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Defined themes were reviewed by two experienced SLTs working closely with parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to confirm findings with clinical observation. Findings Six Super-ordinate themes emerged with 23 sub-ordinate themes. The major six themes were: ‘role and identity’; ‘guilt’; ‘breast pumping spaces’; ‘impact of professionals on mother’s emotions’; ‘grief’; and ‘community support’. Themes were reviewed and confirmed by two SLTs experienced in the field for a layer of confirmation. Conclusion This study contributes to what is known about the lived-experience of PoPI when it comes to feeding. Using the novel approach of published narratives as a source of data counts as an addition to the literature that uses such methodology to study human experience. Supporting parents during their journey using a family-centred care approach is expected to facilitate their well-being and child’s growth and development.9 0