Child Health Nurs Res.  2022 Oct;28(4):247-258. 10.4094/chnr.2022.28.4.247.

Parenting experiences of mothers of moderate-to-late preterm children in South Korea: a qualitative study

• Lee S

• KMID: 2535789
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4094/chnr.2022.28.4.247

Abstract

Purpose
This study investigated the parenting experiences of mothers of young children born moderate-to-late preterm (MLPT) in South Korea.
Methods
In this qualitative study, semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 10 mothers of MLPT children from infancy to preschool age. The interviews were video-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Results
Four categories resulted from the analysis of parenting experiences of mothers with young MLPT children, as follows: "becoming a mother of an early-born child", "difficulties as the primary caregiver for a high-risk child", "helpful social support, but still a lack of professional support for parenting a high-risk child", and "mothers and children growing together".
Conclusion
Mothers of young MLPT children experienced difficulties due to concerns about their child's health, growth and development, and insufficient child-rearing support. Therefore, social support systems should be strengthened and more aggressive nursing strategies should be adopted for mothers of young MLPT children.

Keyword

Child; Mothers; Parenting; Preterm birth; Qualitative research