Mothers of Very Preterm Infants

This study was part of a larger study in which an individual, peer-support intervention for mothers of very preterm infants was evaluated. In the present study, ratings by mothers who received the culturally sensitive intervention were compared with ratings from a control group on their experience of the preterm birth, and the quality of their social support. Additionally, mothers who received the intervention also rated their comfort with social interactions in general, and with their support giver, as well as the qualities (e.g., supportive, friendly) of the support giver. The intervention was delivered in a metropolitan city in Canada with a considerably diverse population, for example, 41% spoke a mother tongue other than one of the two official languages (English and French) and 37% were a visible minority. Mothers with a preterm infant in the neonatal intensive care unit who agreed to participate were matched on language, culture, ethnicity, and characteristics of their infant to a volunteer, trained support giver with experience of preterm birth. Results indicated that the intervention helped mothers to feel more confident in their parenting, understand the medical condition of their infants, and experience greater quality of their listening support than control mothers. Intervention mothers also reported comfort interacting with people in general, and especially with the support giver. This study confirms and extends social support theory: Generic social support may be beneficial for caregivers of ill patients; however, specialized support appears to be particularly important for mothers of very preterm infants. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.