Multiparous perceptions of full term and preterm neonates

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether multiparous mothers of full term infants perceived newborns differently than multiparous mothers of premature infants. A convenience sample of 32 multiparous mothers was selected and placed into one of two groups according to the gestational age. Group 1 was comprised of 25 full term mothers and Group 2 was comprised of 7 preterm mothers.The Neonatal Perception Inventory - I was utilized to elicit mother's perceptions of the newborn. The instrument was found to be valid and reliable for use with multiparas. Demographic data was gathered on age, educational level, number of previous pregnancies and the classification of a high-risk pregnancy.Differences between the two groups were analyzed utilizing a ttest and Analysis of Covariance. The study's results indicated that there is no significant difference between neonatal perceptions of multiparous mothers of full term infants and multiparous mothers of premature infants.School of NursingThesis (M.S.