Swedish Men’s Experiences of Becoming Fathers to Their Preterm Infants

Purpose: To describe Swedish men’s experiences of becoming fathers to their preterm infants. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study. Sample and method: Eight men participated in semistructured interviews with open-ended questions. The interviews were analyzed using manifest and latent content analysis. Main outcome variables: The concepts of control and noncontrol. Result: The manifest analysis of the interview text produced six categories: concern, stress, helplessness, security, support, and happiness. The latent content interpretation indicated that the concepts of control and noncontrol were relevant to the fathers’ experiences. The men’s experiences of early fatherhood were influenced by their ability to experience control. When concern, stress, and helplessness dominated the fathers’ experiences and coincided with low levels of happiness, support, and security, they experienced noncontrol. Conversely, when they experienced support, security, and happiness, they felt that they were in control and able to handle the situation.

[1]  K. Stjernqvist,et al.  Ten‐year follow‐up of children born before 29 gestational weeks: health, cognitive development, behaviour and school achievement , 1999, Acta paediatrica.

[2]  H. Forssberg,et al.  The Stockholm Neonatal Project: neonatal mortality and morbidity at the Children's Centre, Karolinska Hospital , 1997, Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). Supplement.

[3]  S. Funk,et al.  The stress response of mothers and fathers of preterm infants. , 1992, Research in nursing & health.

[4]  S. Goldberg.  Prematurity: Effects on Parent-Infant Interaction , 1978 .

[5]  J. Sullivan,et al.  Development of Father-Infant Attachment in Fathers of Preterm Infants , 1999, Neonatal Network.

[6]  J D Horbar,et al.  Very low birth weight outcomes of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Network. , 1991, Pediatrics.

[7]  K. Vehviläinen-Julkunen,et al.  Fathers' experiences of childbirth. , 1998, Midwifery.

[8]  유창조.  Naturalistic Inquiry , 2022, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[9]  M. A. Watson,et al.  Parent stress and coping in NICU and PICU. , 1997, Journal of pediatric nursing.

[10]  J. Bowlby.  Attachment and loss: retrospect and prospect. , 1982, The American journal of orthopsychiatry.

[11]  M. Rutter.  Clinical implications of attachment concepts: retrospect and prospect. , 1995, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[12]  S. Goldberg.  Premature birth: consequences for the parent-infant relationship. , 1979, American scientist.

[13]  J. Brazy,et al.  How Parents of Premature Infants Gather Information and Obtain Support , 2001, Neonatal Network.

[14]  J. Pinelli.  Effects of Family Coping and Resources on Family Adjustment and Parental Stress in the Acute Phase of the NICU Experience , 2000, Neonatal Network.

[15]  J. Pearson,et al.  Evaluation of a Program to Promote Positive Parenting in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit , 2001, Neonatal Network.

[16]  K. Gloppestad.  Initial Separation Time between Fathers and Their Premature Infants: Comparison between Two Periods of Time , 1994 .

[17]  T. Field.  The Three Rs of Infant-Adult Interactions: Rhythms, Repertoires, and Responsitivity , 1978 .

[18]  J. Horbar,et al.  Decreasing mortality associated with the introduction of surfactant therapy: an observational study of neonates weighing 601 to 1300 grams at birth. The Members of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. , 1993, Pediatrics.

[19]  B Downe-Wamboldt,et al.  Content analysis: method, applications, and issues. , 1992, Health care for women international.

[20]  J. Raphael-leff.  POG 00047 Facilitators and Regulators; Participators and Renouncers: Mothers' and Fathers' Orientations towards Pregnancy and Parenthood , 1985 .

[21]  Denise F. Polit PhD Faan,et al.  Study Guide to Accompany Essentials of Nursing Research: Methods, Appraisal, and Utilization , 2005 .

[22]  S. Funk,et al.  Sources of support reported by mothers and fathers of infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit. , 1996, Neonatal network : NN.

[23]  E. Reynolds,et al.  OUTCOME FOR INFANTS OF VERY LOW BIRTHWEIGHT: SURVEY OF WORLD LITERATURE , 1981, The Lancet.