The Post–Facility Discharge Challenges on the Psycho-Social Well-Being of Mothers Caring for Preterm Babies in Jinja Regional Referral Hospital

Abstract

Background: Prematurity is the leading cause of mortality among newborns and infants under 1 year. The World Health Organization estimates that 15 million babies are born before term every year. Several interventions have been put in place to save the lives of preterm babies at the health facility level and less at the community level, and for the caregivers of preterm babies during the post-facility discharge. The post-facility discharge death among the preterm ranges from 11% to 28%. This study explored the post–facility Discharge Challenges on the Psycho-Social Well-being of mothers caring for Preterm Babies in Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. Methods: This study was conducted at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in eastern Uganda. It employed a qualitative approach with two data collection phases. Phase 1 of data collection was in-depth interviews with mothers caring for preterm babies discharged from inpatient services but still attending premature clinic hours. Phase 2 is composed of Focus Group Discussions. We held 30 in-depth interviews and three FDGs 8 respondents each session, and a thematic approach to data analysis was used. Results: There were increased psycho-social challenges among mothers caring for preterm babies at home because of psychological distress and sleep deprivation. mothers perceived their babies as medically vulnerable alongside other post-facility discharge challenges like feeding, which was universally shared among all mothers, keeping the baby warm, and also juggling routine household activities. Spouses, relatives, and friends were the sources of emotional support. Mothers suggested that developing a peer-to-peer intervention can mitigate post-facility discharge challenges and improve post-facility discharge outcomes. Conclusion: The post-facility discharge challenges are attributed negatively to the psycho-social well-being of mothers. The majority of the mothers suffered psychological issues, including self-isolation and departing from social connections, sleep deprivation, and re-admission of the infants.