Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1987.

When a woman discovers that she is pregnant, she begins a process of internal work to develop her mother role. This process has been outlined in the literature for the delivery of a healthy full-term baby, however little is known about the process for mothers of medically fragile babies. A threatened pregnancy and subsequent delivery of a medically fragile baby involves a different process of internal work by the mother to prepare for her role. Mothers with a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience stress, uncertainty, and anxiety potentially causing a permanent impact on the successful development of her role. It is the purpose of this dissertation to explore the process of mother role development among those first-time mothers having a baby in the NICU. This study was conducted using a qualitative grounded theory method. Data collection consisted of personal journals, in-person interviews, researcher notes and observation. The specific aims include (1) describing the disruption in the individual’s preconceived idea of being a mother, (2) exploring specific strategies that support the mother in the development of her role while in the NICU, (3) describing the mother’s perception of her role during physiologic changes in her baby, (4) examining the mother’s evaluation of her mother-role success, (5) developing a deeper understanding of the process of developing the role of mother while in the NICU, and (6) constructing a theoretical model to illustrate the process of becoming a mother while in the NICU.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-167).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a nursing intervention on the mother's postpartum adjustment and perception of her infant. The intervention was designed to give information about infant behaviour patterns; and to assist the mother in identifying the behavioural responses and reflex behaviours characteristic of her infant. A quasi-experimental design was utilized with random assignment of the twenty-five married primiparous participants to either an experimental or a control group. The subjects in the experimental group took part in the nursing intervention approximately twelve days following their infants' births; the fathers of the infants were also present during the intervention. All participants completed the Neonatal Perception Inventory and the Postnatal Research Inventory one month postpartum. Data were also obtained from the mothers' hospital records. Statistical analysis comparing the scores for the two groups indicated that experimental group mothers had a more positive perception of their infants. In addition, they reported less depression and irritability and fewer negative feelings towards caring for their babies. There were no differences between experimental and control group mothers on seven other scales of maternal adjustment. Correlations between the perception scale and maternal adjustment inventory across all subjects showed that positive perception of the infant was associated with low scores on scales of depression, irritability, fear or concern for the baby, and the mother's need for reassurance. These findings were discussed in relation to their implications for clinical practice. Suggestions for further research into other variables that may be influential in the postpartum period were also outlined. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

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A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. Johannesburg 2017 / Early skin-to-skin contact is a biological need of newborn infants (Bergman & Bergman, 2013). Preliminary research informs us that this contact directly and indirectly influences the mother-infant relationship. This relationship in turn forms the basis of the infant’s social-emotional development (Phillips, 2013). This study investigated South African mother-infant dyads with and without early skin-to-skin contact and the influence on bonding and touch. Contact over the first 24 hours and bonding were measured within one week postpartum. Tactile interactions in daily routine, touch during face-to-face interaction as well as a repeat of the bonding assessment were completed at six to eight weeks postpartum. No correlation was found between skin-to-skin contact and bonding within one week postpartum. A positive correlation was identified between skin-to-skin contact and bonding as well as an increase in touch in daily living at six to eight weeks postpartum. This was substantiated by an increase in touch during face-to-face interaction. Further more stringent research is however required to confirm these findings. / MT2017