Such external factors may negatively influence a vulnerable preterm infant’s health and development, not only directly but also through risk to the well-being of the mother or primary caregiver who may not be able to provide optimal care (Black et al. The low socio-economic status (SES) population experiences specific risk factors pertaining to their health, such as increased exposure to human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV and AIDS) and tuberculosis, poor housing conditions and poor sanitation (Arroyave et al. In South Africa, approximately half of the population live in low socio-economic circumstances (Statistics South Africa 2020). Furthermore, research studies have linked higher incidences of preterm birth with lower socio-economic circumstances, as 60% of preterm births occur within the Global South (Blencowe et al. Neurodevelopmental difficulties may affect many areas of development, such as feeding, cognitive and social development, including attachment and communication (Hee Chung, Chou & Brown 2020 Johnson et al. Literature suggests that such difficulties range across health and neurodevelopmental domains. It is well established that preterm infants are at increased risk – two to three times that of their full-term counterparts – of developmental difficulties and medical sequelae (Soleimani, Zaheri & Abdi 2014). Preterm births account for a growing 5% – 18% of all births worldwide, with more preterm infants surviving at younger gestational ages (WHO 2018 ).
Keywords: preterm birth mother early intervention speech-language therapy low socio-economic feeding methods culture social support. Prematurity influenced mothers’ decisions to use traditional medicines and hospital care affected some traditional practices.Ĭonclusion: 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.Ĭontribution: The findings provide insights into maternal experiences with implications for healthcare practitioners’ continued education in an ethnically diverse setting. The infant’s medical stability was the main concern for mothers and concerns regarding the infant’s development did not arise. Results: Social support and religion positively influenced maternal coping. A discussion schedule was used to guide 15 in-depth interviews with mothers that were later thematically analysed. Methods: The study employed a qualitative, cross-sectional design that was explorative and contextual in nature. Setting: A follow-up clinic for preterm infants and their mothers at a public tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. 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.Īim: 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. Early intervention is imperative for the best developmental outcome for the infant. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution,Īnd reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.īackground: 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. Maternal experiences of caring for preterm infants in a vulnerable South African population & Gerber, B., 2021, ‘Maternal experiences of caring for preterm infants in a vulnerable South African population, Health SA Gesondheid 26(0), a1549.
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