Sociocultural Practices Affecting the Care of Preterm Infants in the Ghanaian Community

Adama, Esther; Sundin, Deborah; Bayes, Sara

doi:10.1177/1043659620975098

Cited by 16 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(51 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our findings support and extend previous research which acknowledges the importance of communitybased interventions to increase awareness of preterm babies and ensure mothers are supported to provide adequate care at home [12,14,18]. Community-level education must be intensified through culturally sensitive content that is designed to demystify negative perceptions [18].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…There are several challenges with in-hospital care [15,16] which influences survival rates however the care quality for preterm babies reduces significantly post-discharge largely due to socio-cultural and economic factors. Parents face an enormous cost burden [17] coupled with having to conform to popular sector beliefs and harmful practices propelled by Ghanaian culture and religion [18]. Premature babies are frowned upon and so mothers may not seek for or receive adequate support for fear of stereotypical attitudes [18,19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parents face an enormous cost burden [17] coupled with having to conform to popular sector beliefs and harmful practices propelled by Ghanaian culture and religion [18]. Premature babies are frowned upon and so mothers may not seek for or receive adequate support for fear of stereotypical attitudes [18,19]. Often many preterm babies are readmitted in a critical state and particularly those born extremely preterm die at home [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Often many preterm babies are readmitted in a critical state and particularly those born extremely preterm die at home [15]. It is not surprising that the experiences of mothers who deliver preterm babies remain largely undocumented and this negatively impacts management [14,18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country

Garti

Donkor

Musah³

et al. 2021

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Preterm delivery is the birth of a baby before 37 weeks of gestation. This global phenomenon is a critical issue of concern especially in developing countries that are resource-constrained when it comes to the management of preterm babies. Complications associated with prematurity contribute significantly to under-five mortality and are linked with feelings of despair, grief, and anxiety among mothers. Methods This was a qualitative descriptive study in an urban setting in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Eleven mothers whose babies had been discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit in a major hospital and resided in Accra were interviewed in their homes using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed inductively by content analysis. Results All the mothers had formal education and the mean maternal age was 27.9 years. The majority of the mothers were multiparous. The gestational age at birth ranged from 32 to 34 weeks and the average birth weight of their babies was 1.61 kg. Four major themes emerged which included: Around the clock care; mothers’ self-perceptions and attitudes of significant others; mothers’ health and wellbeing; and support. Most of the mothers experienced physical exhaustion from the extra demands involved with care, had negative emotions, and unmet social needs. Conclusions The findings indicate that home management of preterm babies poses multiple stressors and is associated with poor psychological and physical wellbeing among mothers. Hence, the need for extensive education and identification of other social support systems to augment facility-based care for mothers and their preterm babies.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country

Garti

Donkor

Musah³

et al. 2021

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The reasons behind these decisions involved preterm infants' specified caregiving needs for which the mothers had received education during their stay in the hospital with the infant, and high levels of PPCV. Other family members and community members assisting with infant caregiving are also mentioned in other studies involving African cultures (Adama, Sundin & Bayes 2020;Pharr et al 2014). These findings suggest that healthcare professionals should ensure that caregiver education is accessible to all primary caregivers of infants at the time of discharge and thereafter, and not only the mother.…”

Section: Theme 4: Traditional Beliefs Influenced and Were Influenced By Prematuritymentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal experiences of caring for preterm infants in a vulnerable South African population

Buys

Gerber

2021

Health SA Gesondheid

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Caring for a preterm infant is known to be a stressful experience as these infants are at a high risk of medical sequelae and developmental delays. Early intervention is imperative for the best developmental outcome for the infant. Such interventions are often delivered through the mother or primary caregiver; however, healthcare professionals are seldom aware of all the factors that influence maternal well-being, potentially influencing her ability to provide optimal care.Aim: To explore the experiences of a group of vulnerable women, namely, isiXhosa-speaking mothers of preterm infants living in low socio-economic circumstances in the Western Cape province of South Africa, regarding having, caring for and feeding their preterm infants within the first 6 months of the infant’s life.Setting: A follow-up clinic for preterm infants and their mothers at a public tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.Methods: The study employed a qualitative, cross-sectional design that was explorative and contextual in nature. A discussion schedule was used to guide 15 in-depth interviews with mothers that were later thematically analysed.Results: Social support and religion positively influenced maternal coping. The infant’s medical stability was the main concern for mothers and concerns regarding the infant’s development did not arise. Prematurity influenced mothers’ decisions to use traditional medicines and hospital care affected some traditional practices.Conclusion: The study findings highlighted the influence of traditional and religious beliefs, the importance of the cultural education of medical staff members and a support system to improve maternal experiences.Contribution: The findings provide insights into maternal experiences with implications for healthcare practitioners’ continued education in an ethnically diverse setting.

show abstract

Nursing support in caring premature babies with delays in oral feeding skills: A qualitative descriptive study

Dwi Astuti,

Rohsiswatmo,

Wanda

et al. 2024

Journal of Neonatal Nursing

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sociocultural Practices Affecting the Care of Preterm Infants in the Ghanaian Community

Cited by 16 publications

References 38 publications

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Mothers’ experiences of caring for preterm babies at home: qualitative insights from an urban setting in a middle-income country

Maternal experiences of caring for preterm infants in a vulnerable South African population

Nursing support in caring premature babies with delays in oral feeding skills: A qualitative descriptive study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About