Transitioning Into the Role of Mother Following the Birth of a Very Low-Birth-Weight Infant: A Grounded Theory Pilot Study.

This qualitative grounded theory pilot study investigated the concerns and coping mechanisms of mothers of very low-birth-weight (VLBW; <1500 g) infants following discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit in Alberta, Canada. In-depth, semistructured, face-to-face, audio-recorded interviews were conducted with women of VLBW infants. Interviews lasting 75 to 90 minutes were transcribed verbatim and coded using grounded theory methodology. Data saturation and theoretical redundancy were achieved in interviews with 6 mothers of VLBW infants. The core variable of "reconstructing normal" emerged from the interview data. Women indicated that mothering a VLBW infant is an unfolding experience that is continuously being revised, creating a new sense of normal. The construct consists of 4 categories; mother-infant relationship, maternal development, maternal caregiving and role-reclaiming strategies, and infant developmental milestones. Findings from this study suggest that women found the transition into motherhood following the birth of a VLBW infant as a multidimensional and dynamic process. Further research is warranted to confirm these results and to further explore mothering issues with VLBW infants.

Top 10 (plus 1) research priorities for expectant families and those with children to age 24 months in Alberta, Canada: results from the Family Research Agenda Initiative Setting (FRAISE) priority setting partnership project.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to identify the top 10 research priorities for expectant parents and caregivers of children up to age 24 months. DESIGN: A priority setting partnership using a modified James Lind Alliance approach was implemented. First, a core steering committee was formed, consisting of 17 parents, clinicians and community agency representatives. Second, through in-person collaboration with steering committee members, we developed and distributed a survey to identify research priorities across 12 topics. In total, 596 participants consented and 480 completed the survey. Survey responses were grouped and themed into codes during a consensus-building workshop with steering committee members (n=18). Research and practice experts were consulted to provide feedback on which themes had already been researched. An in-person (n=21) workshop was used to establish the top 34 priorities, which were circulated to the broader steering committee (n=25) via an online survey. Finally, the core steering committee members (n=18) met to determine and rank a top 10 (plus 1) list of research priorities. SETTING: This study was conducted in Alberta, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Expectant parents and caregivers of children up to age 24 months. RESULTS: Survey results provided 3232 responses, with 202 unique priorities. After expert feedback and steering committee consensus, a list of 34 priorities was moved forward for final consideration. The final top 10 (plus 1) research priorities included three priorities on mental health/relationships, two priorities on each of access to information, immunity and child development, and one priority on each of sleep, pregnancy/labour and feeding. Selecting 11 instead of 10 priorities was based on steering committee consensus. CONCLUSIONS: The findings will direct future maternal-child research, ensuring it is rooted in parent-identified priorities that represent contemporary needs. To provide meaningful outcomes, research in these priority areas must consider diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and experiences.

Prenatal Maternal Anxiety in South Asia: A Rapid Best-Fit Framework Synthesis.

Background: Most research efforts toward prenatal maternal anxiety has been situated in high-income countries. In contrast, research from low- and middle-income countries has focused on maternal depression and prenatal maternal anxiety in low- and middle-income countries remains poorly understood. Objectives: To examine whether dimensions and attributes of current maternal anxiety assessment tools appropriately capture South Asia women's experiences of perinatal distress during pregnancy. Design: We conducted a rapid review with best fit framework synthesis, as we wished to map study findings to an a priori framework of dimensions measured by prenatal maternal anxiety tools. Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL and gray literature in November 2016. Studies were included if published in English, used any study design, and focused on women's experiences of prenatal/antenatal anxiety in South Asia. Review Methods: Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist. Study findings were extracted to an a priori framework derived from pregnancy-related anxiety tools. Results: From 4,177 citations, 9 studies with 19,251 women were included. Study findings mapped to the a priori framework apart from body image. A new theme, gender inequality, emerged from the studies and was overtly examined through gender disparity, gender preference of fetus, or domestic violence. Conclusions: Gender inequality and societal acceptability of domestic violence in South Asian women contextualizes the experience of prenatal maternal anxiety. Pregnancy-related anxiety tools should include domains related to gender inequality to better understand their influence on pregnancy outcomes.