Providing social support, enhancing maternal identity, and facilitating maternal-fetal attachment in the antepartum period are recommended to improve postpartum maternal sensitivity. Also, in future research, a path-type model or structural equation model including other variables, such as postnatal depression, needs to be developed and tested for optimal adaptation to becoming a mother.

This concept analysis should help nurses to understand the process of becoming a mother in a neonatal intensive care unit and plan appropriate interventions for mothers with special needs.

A clear understanding of the concept of maternal sensitivity could be useful for developing ways to enhance maternal sensitivity and to maximize the developmental potential of infants. Knowledge of the attributes of maternal sensitivity identified in this concept analysis may be helpful for constructing measuring items or dimensions.

Background-Inconsistent findings on ethnic differences in cancer pain experience suggest the need for further studies on this topic for adequate cancer pain management.