title: Maternal perceptions of infant exercise in the neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify important factors that influence mothers' perceptions of engaging in exercise with their preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative, semistructured individual interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen mothers of preterm infants who were in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two researchers conducted interviews with mothers in English or Spanish. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mothers tended to view infant exercise as beneficial but feared for the safety of their infants. They perceived nurses as experts who could safely exercise their infants but feared that they themselves might harm their infants. Factors that influenced their beliefs included previous experiences with infant exercise and views regarding the fragility or the strength of their own infants. Mothers identified nurses, doctors, family members, and research studies as trusted sources of information on exercise efficacy and safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding and addressing mothers' perceptions is a crucial component of a nursing intervention that teaches parents to do assisted exercises at home with their preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gravem
authors.forename: Kimberley D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Lakes
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teran
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olshansky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002140:California; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012449:Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires