J Nurs Acad Soc.  1991 Apr;21(1):89-116.

A Phenomenological Study on Mother - Infant Interacting Behavior Patterns related to Newborn Infant Feeding in Korea

• Han KJ

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe mother-infant interacting behavior patterns related to newborn infant feeding and to explore the mother's cultural belief about their infant. The data collection was conducted by observation and interview. Twenty-five mothers and their newborn infants who were normally delivered and were also planned to breast-feed were comprised as the subjects of this study. All subjects were interviewed and observed individually at 1 to 5 days after the delivery at the hospital, mid-wife's clinic, Maternal Child Health Center and their home throughout the country from remote area to big city. The observation data were recorded with symbolic letter on a recording sheet newly developed as a result of preliminary study. The interview data were tape-recorded and then recorded in narrative from. Mother-infant interaction behaviors in early feeding period were analyzed based on 19 analytic sub-categories and their composing elements. Unit of analysis were mother, infant and mother-infant dyad. 8 analytic categories draw from the data. Each were preparation, instrument, interaction inducing, evaluation referred to mother's behavior, preparation, instrument, interaction inducing referred to infant's behavior and synchronic behaviors referred to mother-infant dyad. Frequencies of behavior items based on the categories were converted to percent. The result showed that in mother's preparation behavior, the breast condition of Korean mother can be an affecting factor for mother-infant interaction during feeding, and vocalization behavior was observed most frequently in interaction inducing behavior while the least frequent behavior observed was contacting. Subcultural characteristics of mother-infant interaction behaviors were analyzed for their relationships between groups of mothers who have lived in remote area vs urban vs urban area, and who were multipara vs primipara. Using a chi-square test, there were statistically significant relationship in the activity of psychological readiness in preparation behavior and the movement of extremities for the position of instrumental behavior in both groups. However, interaction inducing behaviors were not related with statistical significance in any set of groups. Accomplishment of marriage, bonding and emotional mediation of family members were the categories related to mother's cultural belief about the infant in aspect of functional values. Infant at birth is considered little more than a biological organism without is still be attached to his mother, he makes his mother extend her territoriality. The mother's interacting behavior toward her infant based on those beliefs appeared task oriented, separative behavioral series. On the other hand, it was seen that infant reacted independently to his mother's behavior by the innate perceptual abilities. Those independent behavioral series of mother and infant on the feeding situation were synchronized at any moment. Nurses are in a unique position to teach mothers about their infant's capabilities and help reducing some of uncertainty about infant's behaviors. Study results indicated that the informations infant's social capabilities and breast feeding should be given to the mothers. The results of this study have several implications for nursing. First, the study results will be used as fundamental resources for the development of the assessment tool about the early mother-infant interaction. Second, the results could be a relevant information in the field. I of maternal child nursing education as real and useful data. Third, the behavioral patterns of early mother-infant interaction which were classified based on the qualitative analysis could be used for nursing theory development as very fundamental data.

MeSH Terms

*Breast Feeding
Culture
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Interviews as Topic
Korea
*Mother-Child Relations
Parents/education
Social Values