The Alien Child: The Experience of Mothers of Hospitalized Premature Children

Objective: Analyze the birth of child born prematurely and hospitalized in a Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit, which usually takes the child's parents by surprise. From the moment of birth, parents find themselves facing a series of circumstances they had not previously considered in their lives and that determine their relationship as well as their ability to care for their child. Method: A ten-mother case study was undertaken in order to become familiar with a mother's experience during the pregnancy, birth and hospitalization of their premature children. Results: Findings reveal that contrary to mothers who deliver healthy full term babies, these mothers experience a surprisingly short and an abruptly ending pregnancy; they felt their child was distant and alien to them. Because of the restrictions of the NICU, the circumstances surrounding the birth and hospitalization of their child delayed their appropriation of their role as a caring mother. Conclusion: These findings reveal that implanting institutional care strategies that encourage closeness and mother-child contact such as intra-mural kangaroo care is paramount.