Item – Theses Canada

OCLC number
46582679
Author
Duhn, Gwenyth,1954-
Title
Struggling to feed for survival : mothers and infants with congenital heart disease and severe feeding difficulties.
Degree
M. Sc. -- Queen's University at Kingston, 1998
Publisher
Ottawa : National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, [1999]
Description
2 microfiches.
Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
Abstract
Infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) often have severe feeding difficulties which must be managed by their mothers to ensure nutrition and weight gain for cardiac surgery. However, mothers' issues and processes surrounding these early experiences have not been systematically studied, from mothers' perspective. The purpose of this study was to describe mothers' experiences, who live and manage difficult feedings and the issues and processes which evolve from these. The qualitative method of grounded theory (GT) was used to explore the early feeding experiences of mothers and their infants with CHD. This constant comparative method was applied at two levels of coding (open and early axial coding). Findings were returned to study participants for the purpose of verification and refinement of the final analysis. This longitudinal study employed repeated interviews and observations of 7 mother-baby dyads. Awareness of the issues and responses arising from the complexities of phases of mothers' and babies' early feeding, have implications for more context specific, timely assessments and interventions directed toward enhancing maternal-infant interaction, decreasing maternal fear, and strengthening early maternal role confidence. Further research is necessary to identify specific nursing interventions. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
ISBN
0612360253
9780612360259