Attachment expressions and behaviors in mothers and their newborn hospitalized in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Mother-newly born attachment is a relation with profound effects on the baby’s physical, psychological and intellectual development; and this relation is often affected as a result of barriers and demands imposed by the complex technologic support systems from the intensive care units. Moreover, culture plays a crucial role to promote such attachment relation. Because of all that, the objective of this study was to describe the attachment expressions and behaviors of mothers and newly born hospitalized in an intensive Care Unit within a third level institution in Barranquilla, Colombia. The study design was descriptive, ethnographic, and qualitative, with foundations on M. Leininger’s ethno-nursing. The sample was formed with 10 mothers, and 9 nurses with experience in neonatal care who, voluntarily, signed an informed consent participation agreement. The mothers represented the key informants while nurses the general ones. For the selection of the sample was taken into account theoretical saturation. Data were obtained following Leininger’s observation-participation-Reflection format, and with photographs and deep interviews. Four cultural main themes were identified: mother-newly born communication, mother-newly born observation, maternal touch, and religious and family support. The results suggest that mothers have their own culture mediated way to establish their attachment relations with their sons. Therefore it is important to gather enough culture knowledge in order to offer appropriate culture-strengthened nursing care.