ABSTRACT Transnational families are becoming more common, although the long‐term impact of early childhood separations from biological parents remains unclear. “Satellite babies” (SBs) are Chinese infants born in North America, sent to China for caregiving, and then reunited with their parents. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) examined the lived experiences of 10 adult SBs to address gaps in attachment theory (AT) and inform culturally sensitive therapeutic practice. IPA's iterative, in‐depth approach to thematic data analysis revealed four group experiential themes (GETs): ambiguous loss, fear in relationships then and now, “how I got through it,” and change is possible. Results support key tenets from AT and ambiguous loss theory (ALT), including sensitive periods of attachment, adult attachment dimensions, and the “psychological family.” Results support negative developmental outcomes while highlighting protective factors like social support. Recommendations for practice include a call for MFTs to include ALT in culturally sensitive assessment and treatment of Chinese SB families.
Chiu et al. (2026) studied this question.