Empowering parents to care for preterm infants

Introduction: Birth, hospitalization, transition from hospital to home and care for preterm infants are critical events for parents. Materials and Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted with four fathers and 12 mothers who had experienced preterm infant care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and October 2020 and grounded theory tools were used for analysis. Results: The following four categories were identified: coping with preterm birth, experiencing dayto-day prematurity in neonatal units, empowering parents to care for preterm infants and caring at home. The category for empowering parents to care for preterm infants was identified as the central category in the experience. Discussion: Experiencing preterm birth is complex and dynamic as it involves a high emotional burden for parents. Caring for preterm infants requires developing specific skills before discharge in which empowerment plays a central role. Parental empowerment facilitates this transition supported by nursing accompaniment, information provided, involvement in the care of their child in the neonatal unit, family support and individual conditions of parents. Conclusions: Experiencing parental empowerment in the care of their preterm infants is a key element that facilitates the transition from hospital to home and encourages the development of home care skills.