Parenting Experience of Prematurity Parents Based on Grounded Theory

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE@#This study aimed to explore the parenting experience of prematurity parents in home.@*METHODS@#The participants were 12 parents of preterm children who were identified through theoretical sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted for the data collection. For data analysis, grounded theory was used according to the process suggested by Corbin and Strauss.@*RESULTS@#The parenting experience was characterized by the phenomena “intangible anxiety” and “finding hope with child.” Causal conditions were “unpredictability of the child's health” and “guilt over the preterm birth.” Contextual conditions were “social prejudices” and “incomplete parenting support system.” Intervening conditions were “spousal conflicts” and “active search for information.” Action/interaction strategies were “hiding of preterm birth,”“dependency of online community,”“effort to understand spouse” and “Waiting with mind control.” The consequences were “rewarding of parenting” and “growth of the couple's intimacy.” The core category was “waiting with controlling uncertainty.”@*CONCLUSION@#The results can contribute to promoting understanding of the parenting experience of prematurity parents and to developing a social support for this type of parents.