Ref no. | Author Year | Aim | Country Type of unit(s) | Study design | Infants’ GA /weight at birth | Sample | Age of infant or timing when the study was conducted | Parent characteristics (age/parity) | Data collection methods | Data analysis methods | QA Grade |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[30] | Bjork et al. 2012 | To illuminate mothers experiences of breastfeeding a preterm infant in a neonatal ward | Sweden One 10-bed neonatal unit | Qualitative | 27–36 gw | 12 mothers who were breastfeeding at discharge | At home, 2–7 months post-discharge. | 22–40 yrs., 7 had university education | Written text by mothers asked to write about their experiences of breastfeeding | Thematic analysis | B |
[31] | Boucher et al. 2011 | To explore the maternal experience of breastfeeding initiation and progression in the NICU | Canada One level III NICU | Qualitative descriptive | 27–34 gw | 10 mothers who had begun to breastfeed | At hospital, 2–7 weeks old | 24–35 yrs., 7 had a secondary education, half of the mothers were primiparous | Face-to-face interviews | Qualitative content analysis | B |
[32] | Breivold et al. 2019 | To explore mothers’ experience after coming home from the hospital with a moderately to late preterm infant | Norway One unspecified neonatal unit | Qualitative explorative | 30–35 gw | 10 mothers | At home, 2–3 months after discharge | 26–40 yrs., 8 Norweigan and 2 from Easetern Europe, 7 primiparous, 2 mothers with twins | Face-to-face interviews | Qualitative content analysis | A/B |
[33] | Bujold et al. 2018 | To explore whether mothers perceived expressing human milk for their infant in the NICU to be a closeness or separation experience and what factors gave rise to these perceptions | Canada One level III NICU | Qualitative descriptive | 23–32 gw | 15 mothers | At hospital, on average 37 days old at first data collection | 26–44 yrs., 10 university education 10, primpiparous, 10 Canadian citizens | By the “Happy-app”, mother made voice recording where they described their experiences | Thematic content analysis. | A/B |
[34] | Ericson et al. 2017 | To explore mothers experiences of the proactive and reactive telephone support | Sweden Six NICUs | Qualitatively driven mixed-method evaluation | All < 37 gw with a mean GA of 34 gw | 274 mothers provided written comments and 26 mothers were interviewed | At home, 8 weeks after discharge and at 6 and 12 months of infant age. | More than half had a university education, about 60% were primiparous, 6% not born in Sweden | Written comments to open-ended questions on questionnaires issued at 8 weeks after discharge and at 6 and 12 months of age. Telephone interviews at 8 weeks after discharge and at 6 months of age | Thematic network analysis | B |
[35] | Ericson and Palmér 2019 | To describe how mothers of preterm infants in Sweden experience breastfeeding support during the first 12 months after birth | Sweden Six NICUs | Hermeneutic approach | < 37 gw with a mean of 34 gw | 151 mothers; 125 provided written comments, 12 interviewed, and 14 gave comments and interviewed | At home, 8 weeks after discharge and at 6 and 12 months of infant age. | Mean age was 30, 60% had a university education, 60% primiparous, 15% had twins, 6% not born in Sweden | Written comments to open-ended questions on questionnaires issued at 8 weeks after discharge and at 6 and 12 months of age. Telephone interviews at 8 weeks after discharge and at 6 months of age | Thematic network analysis | B |
[36] | Flacking and Dykes 2013 | To explore, in-depth, the impact of place and space on parents’ experiences and practices related to feeding their preterm babies in NICUs in Sweden and England | England and Sweden 2 NICUs in each country | Ethnographic | 23–35 gw | 52 mothers; 22 Swedish and 30 English | At hospital, observations were made throughout the hospital stay | 19–45 years, 30 primiparous, 6 were not born in Sweden/England | Participant observations (210 h) and face-to-face interviews (96 h) | Grounded theory | A/B |
[37] | Flacking and Dykes 2017 | To explore perceptions and experiences of using a nipple shield among parents and staff in neonatal units in Sweden and England | England and Sweden 2 NICUs in each country | Ethnographic | Median 31 gw | 12 mothers | At hospital, observations and interviews were made throughout the hospital stay | 8 primiparous, 3 mothers with twins | Participant observations and face-to-face interviews | Thematic network analysis | B |
[38] | Holdren et al. 2019 | To understand how differences in neonatal care culture in two units in Finland and the US were translated to parents’ infant feeding experiences | Finland and the USA One level III NICU in each country | Unspecified qualitative | 23–32 gw | 15 mothers; 8 Finnish and 7 US mothers | In Finland: last week during the hospital stay, in the US: recently admitted to the NICU | 20–44 years (mean 30), 6 mothers had twins | Interviews via telephone or face-to-face | Thematic narrative analysis | B/C |
[39] | Ikonen et al. 2016 | To describe maternal experiences of expressing breast milk for preterm or SGA infants. | Finland Internet-based | Descriptive | 23–38 gw, mean of 31 gw | 130 mothers | At home, 0–20 years (mean 4 years) of age | 21–50 years (mean 34 years) 73% college or university degree, 23% twins or triplets, 58% previous breastfeeding experience | Open-ended questions in a web-survey | Qualitative inductive content analysis | B/C |
[40] | Niela-Vilen et al. 2015 | To describe the perceptions of breastfeeding mothers of preterm infants based on the postings in peer-support group discussions in social media. | Finland One level III NICU | Unspecified qualitative | Preterm infants | 30 mothers of which 22 posted comments | At hospital and at home; 1st week post partum and then continuously during the first year | 20–46 years (mean 29 years), 21 mothers were primiparous | Mothers posted comments on a secure FB page where only mothers who were recruited in a RCT could join. They accessed the FB group the 1st week postpartum and could continue to access the group at least until the infant turned 1 year | Inductive thematic analysis | C |
[41] | Niela-Vilen et al. 2019 | To describe maternal emotions regarding and insights into breastfeeding during the first year after a preterm birth. | Finland One level III NICU | Unspecified qualitative | 25–35 gw | 80 mothers | At infants’ discharge (hospital), and at 3, 6 and 12 months corrected age | 21–46 years (median 31 years), 73% had a polytechnic/ university education, 70% primiparous, 11 mothers had twins | Answers on open-ended questions at discharge, 3 and 6 months. Telephone interviews or short questionnairs at 12 months. | Inductive thematic analysis | B/C |
[42] | Palmér and Ericson 2019 | To describe mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding their preterm infants from birth until 12 months after birth | Sweden Six NICUs | Unspecified qualitative | < 37 gw, median 34 gw | 270 mothers | At home, 8 weeks after discharge and at 6 and 12 months of infant age. | Mothers had a mean age of 30 years, 51% had a university education, 59% primiparous and 32 mothers had twins | 496 written comments to open-ended questions on questionnaires issued at 8 weeks after discharge and at 6 and 12 months of age. | Thematic network analysis | A |
[43] | Parker et al. 2018 | To examine the perceived barriers and facilitators of providing milk for very preterm infants during the hospitalization among Hispanic and non-Hispanic black mothers. | USA Two level III NICUs | Unspecified qualitative | 24–37 gw median of 30 gw | 23 mothers | At hospital and at home, when the infants were 2–18 months old | 21–40 years, 12 Hipanic and 11 non-Hipsanic mothers, 2 mothers with twins | Interviews | Grounded theory approach | B |
[44] | Radtke Demirci et al. 2015 | To describe the process of breastfeeding establishment among late preterm mother-infant dyads. | USA One level III NICU | Constructivistic grounded theory | < 37 gw | 10 mothers | At hospital 1–2 days after birth and then at home at 1, 2, and 6–8 weeks post partum | 21–41 years, 7 had a college education, 5 primiparous, 2 mothers of twins, | Interviews with some mothers also contributing with e-mail or audioe diaries and video recordings with simulated recall interviewing | Grounded theory approach | B |
[45] | Rossman et al. 2011 | To describe the experiences of mothers with VLBW infants who received lactation care from certified Breastfeeding Peer Carers with special preparation for NICU care. | USA One level III NICU | Qualitative descriptive | 24–31 gw and VLBW 511–1460 g | 21 mothers | At hospital 12–80 days after birth during NICU stay | 18–41 years, 17 had some college education, 10 primiparous | Interviews | Content analysis | A |
[46] | Rossman et al. 2013 | To describe the meaning of milk for mothers who were providing milk for their very low birth weight infants, hospitalised in the NICU | USA One level III NICU | Qualitative descriptive | 23–33 gw and VLBW 600–1445 g | 23 mothers | 4–8 weeks of age | 19–37 years, 5 had graduated from college education, 18 primiparous | Interviews and participant observations | Conventional (inductive) content analysis | A/B |