Life After Discharge: What Parents of Preterm Infants Say About Their Transition to Home

Abstract

Transition from hospital to home for parents of preterm infants (less than 37 weeks gestation) is fraught with challenges. This article presents findings from a descriptive qualitative pilot study and describes experiences of transitioning from hospital to home for parents of preterm infants. An online survey was conducted and parental narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis showed tightly interwoven themes: (1) parenting of the preterm infant is challenging; (2) caregiving is physically demanding; (3) having a preterm infant alters the parental role; (4) having a preterm infant can be socially disruptive; and (5) having a preterm infant requires enhanced health care professionals' support. The findings provide evidence for the complexity of transition in this vulnerable population. This phenomenon has been studied for over three decades and yet our knowledge from parental experiences has not led to eradicating many of the difficulties parents face post discharge.