Adolescent mothers' experiences and support needs during the care of their preterm babies at Kawempe National Referral Hospital.

Abstract

Background: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission following preterm delivery is associated with physical and emotional challenges to mothers due to the uncertainty of neonatal outcomes and prolonged duration of hospital stay. These experiences could be heightened among adolescent mothers due to the unpreparedness for the role and the social difficulties that follow early motherhood. Objective: This study explored the experiences and support needs of adolescent mothers with admitted preterm neonates at a tertiary hospital in Uganda. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in the NICU of Kawempe National Referral Hospital (KNRH). Audio-recorded in-depth interviews with 21 adolescent mothers and 14 key informant interviews with their caregivers and healthcare workers were done. Data was transcribed, translated, and analysed using an inductive approach guided by the social-ecological model (SEM). Results: Most adolescent mothers reported positive experiences at the interpersonal level and negative experiences at the intrapersonal and institutional levels. The positive experiences included the joy of motherhood, support from family, partners, and other mothers, and physical support from the hospital. The negative experiences included financial difficulties, fear for the baby’s life, unfamiliarity with the baby's care, abandonment by family, unapproachable hospital staff, exhausting routines and discomfort on the wards. The support needs included financial and emotional support from the family and partners, and informational support from healthcare workers.Conclusions: This study shows that despite the presence of support from family and partners, adolescent mothers with preterm neonates face individual and institutional challenges while caring for their babies and require support to ensure their well-being and that of their neonates. We recommend strengthening hospital-based support systems through the training of healthcare workers in adolescent-responsive services and enhancing social welfare services.