Persistence of maternal concerns surrounding neonatal jaundice - An exploratory study

Objectives: To explore whether mothers currently express concerns about neo natal jaundice and perceive it as a serious condition; if so, to identify f actors influencing these perceptions; and to elicit maternal recommendation s for improved health care interactions. Design: Ethnographic interviews using grounded theory methods. Audiotaped d ata were transcribed and analyzed for themes using a qualitative data analy sis software program. Setting: University and community hospitals. Participants: Forty-seven Spanish- and English-speaking breastfeeding mothe rs of otherwise healthy infants with a diagnosis of neonatal jaundice and t reated in inpatient and/or outpatient settings. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measure: Qualitative descriptions of maternal experiences with neonatal jaundice. Results: Mothers continued to voice concerns about jaundice and perceive it as serious. They expressed misconceptions, wished to have jaundice explain ed further, and offered suggestions to improve communications with medical staff. Guilt was common, with mothers believing that they had caused the ja undice. Mothers voiced alarm about the yellow skin and discomfort about jau ndice management and worried about perceived short- and long-term effects. Maternal perceptions were exacerbated by cultural differences, language bar riers, and subtlety of language and its meaning. Key factors in creating pe rceptions of jaundice as serious included unexpectedness of and lack of kno wledge about jaundice, quality of information received, levels of intervent ion, and prolonged duration of illness and yellow color. Interactions with health care professionals and other mothers with personal experience with j aundice were important mediators in the way mothers reacted to information. Conclusion: Practitioners need to address these persisting misconceptions a nd concerns about neonatal jaundice with mothers.