Esther Abena Adama

Caring for Preterm Baby After Discharge: Parent's Experiences of Caring for a Preterm Infant After Discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Esther Abena Adama

Imagine that your wife or female family member or friend gets pregnant. What is your expectation of the unborn baby? I guess your expectation is a bouncing baby girl or boy with no medical complications. Imagine that something happens that might not necessarily be the fault of the mother or father and the baby is born too early (before 37weeks of gestation). How will the parents take it? What psychological problems are faced by such parents whilst their preterm infants are on admission at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)? What happens after they have been discharged from the NICU? How do they assume the role of the specialist nurse or health worker in the NICU? This book explores the experiences of such parents as they care for their preterm infants after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. It explores the various emotional distresses and how parents gradually assume their role of caring for a preterm infant. It shows how parents in their own way think they can be better supported by their social support system and nurses/health workers to make this transition a healthy one for both the infant and the parents.