The bittersweet experience of parents living with premature multi-birth new-borns

ABSTRACT

The birth of preterm multiple new-borns, especially triplets or more, creates numerous psychological and clinical challenges for parents during the neonatal and infancy period. This study investigated parents’ experiences of parenting preterm multiple-birth new-borns. A qualitative study was undertaken using an interpretive phenomenology study methodology. The study sample was created purposively yielding 15 parents who were parenting three or more premature new-borns with one or more of them admitted to the neonatal intensive care (NICU). Four main themes were constructed during data analysis. These included: ‘being abandoned in an unknown endless path’; ‘constant erosive concerns’; ‘sacrificial self-forgetfulness’; and ‘the manifestation of growth and maturity’. The parents of preterm multiple-birth neonates described how their experiences ranged along a continuum from bitter to sweet sifting and between these two emotional states was common. Optimizing their experiences, to be more sweet than bitter, can be realized through supportive and individualized family-centred care.

KEYWORDS:

• Parents
• multiple- birth
• premature new-born
• qualitative research

Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to announce their gratitude to all the parents who participated in this research and provided us with their valuable experiences and also we appreciate all the persons who helped us as volunteers in this study.

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest or disclosures.

Ethical considerations

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Ethics Board approval was obtained (IR.TUMS.FNM.REC.1397.088).

Additional information

Funding

The present study results from a PhD dissertation in Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services with the code: [9513199001]. Tehran University of Medical Sciences support to conduct this research.

Notes on contributors

Beheshteh Tabarsy

Beheshteh Tabarsy is a Doctoral candidate in nursing education. She is lecturer and Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Iran. Her research interests are nursing and medical education, developments in child health, teaching of family-centred care, and psychosocial care.

Jila Mirlashari

Jila Mirlashari is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at University of British Columbia and an Associate Professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Also, she is a Certified NIDCAP Professional. Her spatiality is paediatric nursing and her research and interest areas are neonatal nursing, developmental care, addiction prevention, women health and palliative nursing.

Alireza Nikbakht Nasrabadi

Alireza Nikbakht Nasrabadi is a Professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. He has experience in the editorial board and Reviewing for Scientific Journals. He is an expert in Qualitative Research. His research and interest areas are Qualitative Research in Caring and Allied Health, Emergency Nursing, Nursing Ethics, and Professionalism.

Soodabeh Joolaee

Soodabeh Joolaee is a Nursing Professor at Nursing Care Research Center at Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and a Status Associate Professor at Blumberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Canada. She also works as a Research Manager at Indigenous Department of Women’s Hospital and Research Institute and UBC Center for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHEOS) in Vancouver, BC. She is an expert in Qualitative Research and Health Care Ethics.

Helen Brown

Helen Brown is an Associate Professor in School of Nursing at University British Columbia, Canada. her research programme focuses on promoting equity for individuals, communities and populations who face multiple intersecting barriers to health and social wellbeing. She has conducted community-led participatory studies focused on maternity care and culture and wellness with First Nations peoples in Western Canada. Dr Brown also leads an academic network at UBC focused on examining the intersections of health and criminal justice inequity in partnership with nonprofit community agencies and service organizations.