TY - JOUR
T1 - The need of having a plan in excessive infant crying - A qualitative study of parents' experiences of healthcare support
AU - Harskamp-Van Ginkel, Margreet W
AU - Klazema, Willemien
AU - Hoogsteder, Mariëtte H H
AU - Chinapaw, Mai J M
AU - van Houtum, Lieke
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - AIM: Excessive infant crying increases parents' concerns regarding their infant's health and the burden of parenting. We aimed to gain insight into the healthcare support needs of parents with excessively crying infants.METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in the Netherlands. We performed semi-structured interviews with parents of 12 infants between June and December 2020, followed by inductive and deductive thematic analysis.RESULTS: Parents described what their needs were with regard to the assessment of infant crying and support by professionals. Long-lasting crying made parents feel that there must be a somatic cause. If they could soothe their infant, they gained more confidence that their infant was healthy. We identified four interrelated themes: (i) confidence in the professional; (ii) seeking a somatic cause for the crying; (iii) seeking acknowledgment; and (iv) exhaustion of parents and feelings of failure.CONCLUSION: Parental support needs were best fulfilled by professionals who took them seriously, demonstrated medical expertise, and offered a practical plan. Perinatal parental education on normal infant behaviour and infant soothing techniques might improve parental self-efficacy at an early stage and prevent medicalization of excessive crying.
AB - AIM: Excessive infant crying increases parents' concerns regarding their infant's health and the burden of parenting. We aimed to gain insight into the healthcare support needs of parents with excessively crying infants.METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in the Netherlands. We performed semi-structured interviews with parents of 12 infants between June and December 2020, followed by inductive and deductive thematic analysis.RESULTS: Parents described what their needs were with regard to the assessment of infant crying and support by professionals. Long-lasting crying made parents feel that there must be a somatic cause. If they could soothe their infant, they gained more confidence that their infant was healthy. We identified four interrelated themes: (i) confidence in the professional; (ii) seeking a somatic cause for the crying; (iii) seeking acknowledgment; and (iv) exhaustion of parents and feelings of failure.CONCLUSION: Parental support needs were best fulfilled by professionals who took them seriously, demonstrated medical expertise, and offered a practical plan. Perinatal parental education on normal infant behaviour and infant soothing techniques might improve parental self-efficacy at an early stage and prevent medicalization of excessive crying.
KW - excessive infant crying
KW - healthcare needs
KW - infant colic
KW - interview
KW - parental perspective
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144086664&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.16618
DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.16618
M3 - Article
C2 - 36477912
SN - 0803-5253
VL - 112
SP - 434
EP - 441
JO - Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
JF - Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
IS - 3
ER -