Parents’ experiences of transitioning to home with a very-low-birthweight infant: a meta-ethnography

Parents’ experiences of transitioning to home with a very-low-birthweight infant : a meta-ethnography

Medical-technological advances and neurodevelopmental care have improved the survival of extremely- and very-low-birthweight infants born before 32 weeks' gestation. After months in neonatal care, the infants are discharged, and parents exited but full of anxiety. This review is designed as a meta-ethnography, addressing parents' discharge experiences to comprehend the synthesised research, which includes 12 eligible studies. From the analysis, we constructed three themes: ‘approaching discharge with both uncertainty and confidence’; ‘discharge as a longed-for though disordering turning point’; and ‘facing joys, worries and multiple challenges when at home’. The overarching interpretation was ‘discharge as double-edged sword’. We conclude that bringing home very-low-birthweight infants is a joyful event, yet parents also experience discharge as never-endingly worrying, as a time filled with challenges to which parents must adapt and as necessitating continuous support from knowledgeable providers.

Hall, ElisabethO.C.Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing University of Faroe Islands, Torshavn, Faroe Islands (author)
Audulv, ÅsaUmeå universitet,Institutionen för omvårdnad(Swepub:umu)asau0004 (author)
Ludvigsen, Mette S.Department of Clinical Medicine - Randers Regional Hospital, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Norway (author)
Westergren, ThomasDepartment of Public Health, University of Stavanger, Norway; Department of Nursing Science, University of Agder, Norway (author)
Fegran, LivDepartment of Nursing Science, University of Agder, Norway (author)
Lovisenberg Diaconal University College, Oslo, NorwayHealth, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing University of Faroe Islands, Torshavn, Faroe Islands (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: Aagaard, Hanne; Hall, ElisabethO ...; Audulv, Åsa; Ludvigsen, Mette ...; Westergren, Thom ...; Fegran, Liv

About the subject

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES: MEDICAL AND HEAL ...; and Health Sciences; and Nursing

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