Fathers’ experiences with their preterm babies admitted to neonatal intensive care unit: A multi-method study

Introduction A phenomenological approach was used to explore paternal narratives during their preterm babies’ hospitalization in NICU. The aim was to investigate fathers’ emotional experiences of- and reactions to- the preterm birth and the subsequent stay in the NICU, and representations of the father’s role. Method Twenty fathers were recruited from a level-III NICU. A multi-method approach was used and included ethnographic observation, semi-structured interviews, self-report questionnaires, and clinical information. Data were analyzed using a mixed-method: a thematic analysis of data from the interviews/informal talks and quantitative analyses to examine possible associations among the emerged themes and between each theme and both fathers’ and infants’ characteristics. Results Two clusters were identified. The “fathers-of-preterm-infants” touched their baby (mean GA: 32.47 weeks) as soon as they were given the opportunity and without fear that doing so they could have harmed their infant. They were struck by their baby’s physical appearance, but they did not report any fear of losing their baby. When these fathers talked about their experience of becoming a father, they focused solely on the experience of becoming father per se, without referring to their baby’s preterm birth and hospitalization. In contrast, the “premature-fathers” preferred not to touch their baby (mean GA: 29.09 weeks) when had the first possibility to do so, because of the fear of breaking/damaging/infecting him/her. They were struck by both the baby’s physical appearance and the technology/equipment covering him/her and were afraid that their infant would die. When talking about the experience of becoming father, they reported worries about preterm birth and their baby’s medical conditions. All fathers in cluster1, but only 63% of fathers in cluster2, were actively engaged in infant care activities. Conclusion Fathers of preterm infants should receive a support specifically addressed to them and personalized based on their individual emotional state.