What Support Systems do Women Caring for Preterm Infants at Home Require in Urban Ghana? A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: Caring for preterm infants and ensuring their survival beyond neonatal intensive care units remain a challenge in many low-income settings. While studies highlight the difficulties of caring for preterm infants at home, few have focused on the forms, sources, and accessibility to support systems. This study explored the forms of support systems women caring for preterm infants at home in urban Ghana require, and their accessibility to such support systems. Methods: An explorative cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted. A total of 19 women who were caring for preterm infants aged 2–6 months at home were purposively sampled. In-depth interviews were conducted and thematic content analysis used to analyse the data. Results: Women reported four main forms of support which they require: psychosocial support, practical support, material support and spiritual support. However, accessibility to these support systems was highly unequal, often depended on one’s social status and the quality of one’s family and interpersonal relationships prior to giving birth to a preterm infant. Conclusion: Women caring for preterm infants at home require a variety of support systems; but effective accessibility remains a challenge for many in urban settings. Interventions to strengthen community and home-based support for women caring for preterm infants at home, including use of social media-based peer support groups, are urgently needed.