Importance of Social Support System on Maternal Experiences of Pediatric Department in the Northern Regional Hospital, Ghana

Background: Mothers who give birth to low birth weight or premature babies who are therefore highly delicate may experience shock and depression as a result of having their newborns hospitalised in NICUs. This kind of hospitalisation ruins the family dynamic and throws the parents of these infants into chaos and distress. These difficulties span a variety of domains, including social, economic, physical, and psychological ones. For mothers of preterm infants, there are no support groups where they may talk about their suffering, interact with other women who have similar issues, or share experiences. Overall, whilst the issue of preterm births may be getting worse, the Ghanaian environment does not adequately capture it.

Purpose: This study attempts to analyse the importance of social support system on maternal experiences.

Methods: The study, which targeted women with preterm newborns receiving care at the Northern Regional Hospital, used a descriptive design and was carried out in Tamale Metropolis. The purposive sample strategy was utilised to recruit participants for the study. Face-to-face interviews with participants were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide, and the findings were examined using theme analysis.

Results: The study's conclusions showed that when participants received knowledge on how to care for their preterm baby and were also shown how to offer the caring activities, they became more confident in doing so.

Conclusions: Support from the staff, other newborn mothers, and the participants' families made it easier for them to cope and encouraged bonding. In order to facilitate newborn care and reduce the length of time preterm hospitalised infants spend in the neonatal intensive care units, management should supply enough logistics and supplies to all neonatal intensive care centres.