Kumador David Kwame, Opoku-Mensah Alberta, Tackie-Ofosu Vivian, Mahama Sheriffa, Owusu-Bempah Justice, Osei Tutu Crossby
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra.
PLoS One. 2025 Mar 3;20(3):e0317147. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317147. eCollection 2025.
The present study examined mothers' experiences with preterm infants in Accra, Ghana, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic, existing poverty, and global economic depressions severely challenged access to communal, familial, and individual resources. We argue that, in a family crisis, contextual and external institutional resources, such as access to quality healthcare resources, play crucial roles in mothers' risk exposure and adaptation.
STUDY DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Using a qualitative approach with an immersive exploratory-descriptive design, the study interviewed twenty-five (25) mothers whose preterm infants were discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana.
The study showed that mothers of preterm infants experienced varying range of challenges, including diminished appetite, decreased productivity, and feelings of hopelessness, both during and following their infants' hospitalization. Having access to adequate income, information, medication, and experienced medical practitioners remains critical to the management of stressful situations associated with the care of preterm children.
Access to funding, preterm information, quality medication, and qualified health professionals can help mothers of preterm infants' better deal with negative experiences than those who do not have adequate amounts of these resources. Access to critical resources can safeguard mothers' mental health and the survival of preterm infants within the first year of delivery. A policy on the existing national health insurance scheme can be enacted to expand coverage and absorb the cost of care for the mother and child within the first eighteen months after delivery.
本研究考察了在新冠疫情、现有贫困状况和全球经济衰退严重挑战社区、家庭和个人资源获取的时期，加纳阿克拉早产婴儿母亲的经历。我们认为，在家庭危机中，诸如获得优质医疗资源等背景性和外部机构资源，在母亲面临风险及适应过程中发挥着关键作用。
研究设计/方法/途径：本研究采用定性研究方法及沉浸式探索性描述设计，对二十五名其早产婴儿从加纳阿克拉科勒布教学医院新生儿重症监护病房出院的母亲进行了访谈。
研究表明，早产婴儿母亲在婴儿住院期间及之后经历了一系列不同的挑战，包括食欲减退、生产力下降和绝望感。获得足够的收入、信息、药物以及有经验的医生，对于应对与照顾早产儿童相关的压力状况仍然至关重要。
与那些没有足够这些资源的母亲相比，获得资金、早产相关信息、优质药物和合格的医疗专业人员，有助于早产婴儿母亲更好地应对负面经历。获得关键资源可以保障母亲的心理健康以及早产婴儿在出生后第一年的存活。可以制定一项关于现有国家健康保险计划的政策，以扩大覆盖范围并承担分娩后头十八个月内母婴护理费用。
