Benefits of a Parenting Record Handbook for Low-birth-weight Infants and Their Families

Background: The Little Baby Handbook (LBH) includes information on the growth/development of lowbirth- weight infants (LBWIs), raising these infants, administrative policies and subsidies for maternal and child health, and messages to mothers/families of LBWIs. In the present study, a focus group interview with the users of the LBH was conducted to examine its usefulness. Methods: A qualitative design with an inductive approach. The subjects were four mothers and a couple with very low-birth-weight infants whose birth weight was less than 1,500 g. Results: The mean birth weight of the infants was 800.6 ± 205.8 g and they were 26.6 ± 2.4 weeks old. Two of the infants were attending a center for children with special needs, and three were undergoing rehabilitation. Mothers of LBWIs used the LBH as a mental support for raising their children, and evaluated it as a useful tool to assess their development and sources of health/medical care information and peer support. The mothers experienced a sense of pleasure from making records of the growth and development of their children, and acquired prospects of their development through messages from mothers with similar experiences. Mothers of LBWIs hoped for the promotion of the LBH as a public tool for information sharing among the families of LBWIs and many different health care professionals. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the LBH empowers the mothers of LBWIs to change their negative feelings and behaviors to positive ones.