Parental self-support: A study of parents' confront strategy when giving birth to premature infants

BACKGROUND This study aimed to understand the confront strategies of parents of premature infants hospitalized in NICU. METHODS This study was performed using qualitative content analysis approach. Twelve participants including nine parents whose infants were hospitalized in NICU, two nurses and one physician, all selected by purposive sampling method were interviewed by a female expert occupational therapist. Data were gathered by semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed by inductive content analysis approach. RESULTS One category, six subcategories and twenty one themes emerged from data analysis expressed confront strategies of parents of premature infants admitted in NICU. These categories were: taking assurance, stop thinking to bad things, diverting mind, taking supports, emotional expression, complaining from staff. CONCLUSION Premature infant's parents announced that they do not receive adequate formal support to manage their feelings and needs. So, they seek for other informal resources of support and apply some special strategies including self-support.