Mothers' perceptions of help seeking related to caregiving for normal birth weight and low birth weight infants

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to describe perceptions of help-seeking related to caregiving by mothers of normal birth weight (NB W) infants and mothers of low birth weight (LBW) infants. Secondary analysis was done on data gathered from an original study that used a cross-sectional, descriptive design. Data for this study were from selected demographic information and responses to a help-seeking interview guide used in the original study. The sample consisted of 30 mothers of normal birth weight (>2500 grams) infants and 30 mothers of low birth weight(< 2500 grams) infants. Neuman Systems Model provided the conceptual framework for this research. Content analysis of mothers' responses revealed that mothers of NBW infants were more likely to seek help related to routine newborn care, and mothers of LBW infants were more likely to seek help related to non-routine neonatal care and to report extra procedures related to infant prematurity or LBW.