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Maternal Experiences of Moderate to Late Preterm Children Aged 3–6: A Qualitative Study on Child Development, School Life, Parenting Roles, and Implications for Pediatric Care
Uzkul S, Pala Ş ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explored how eight mothers experience raising moderate-to-late preterm children aged 3–6. Mothers perceived their children as more vulnerable to health problems than peers, which motivated early intervention and reduced school absenteeism. Most mothers viewed their children's academic performance as age-appropriate, though attention and motor skills varied. The main school challenges were adjustment, bullying, peer interactions, and social skills, with mothers taking supportive and guiding roles to meet their children's needs.
Key points
- Mothers perceived their moderate-to-late-preterm children as more vulnerable to health problems compared with peers
- Perceived vulnerability prompted mothers to take an early-intervention role, which protected against school absenteeism
- Most mothers rated their children's learning abilities and academic performance as age-appropriate
- Attention skills varied depending on the child's interest and motivation
- Main school difficulties were school adjustment, bullying, peer interactions, social skills, and sometimes fine and gross motor skill challenges
Limitations
This is a small qualitative study with only eight mothers, so findings cannot be generalized to all families with preterm children. The study does not include perspectives from fathers, teachers, or the children themselves, nor does it compare outcomes with children born at term.
Abstract
Abstract This study set out to explore, in depth, how mothers of moderate-to-late preterm children aged 3–6 experience their children's development, school life, their own sense of the parenting role, and the rhythms of everyday life. Eight mothers who had given birth moderate-to-late preterm and whose children fell within the 3–6 age range made up the study sample. Adopting a qualitative design, the research gathered data through a demographic information form prepared by the researchers, a semi-structured interview form, and a digital diary kept over a ten-week period. Interview data were examined using thematic analysis, while diary entries were analyzed through content analysis. The findings showed that mothers tended to view their moderate-to-late-preterm children as more vulnerable to health problems compared with their peers. What stands out as one of the most noteworthy results, however, is that this perceived vulnerability pushed mothers into an early-intervention role, which in turn acted as a protective factor against school-absenteeism. Most mothers rated their children's learning abilities and academic performance as age-appropriate, though they noted that attention skills varied depending on the child's interest and motivation. Another key finding was that the difficulties moderate-to-late-preterm children encountered most frequently in school life centered on school adjustment, bullying, peer interactions, and social skills. In some cases, challenges with fine and gross motor skills were also found to interfere with participation in school activities. Overall, the mothers in this study were seen to take on both supportive and guiding roles in order to meet their children's developmental needs.