Internal working models of parenting: motivations of parents of infants with a congenital heart defect.
Drawing on attachment-caregiving theory, we interviewed parents of 24 infants with a complex congenital heart defect (CCHD) about parenting motivations through the first year. Using directed content analysis, 8 categories of motivations, focused either on the baby, the parent-infant relationship, family, self, or tasks were identified at 1, 4 or 6, and 12 months. A matrix of motivations by parent showed family and infant age variations. Motivations illustrated for 5 parents at 1 month suggest that specification of expectations and intentions and clustering of motivations mentioned by a parent would advance study of linkages of parenting internal working models with parenting action.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing, Madison, Wisconsin 53792–2455, USA. kpridham@wisc.edu
Karen
K
Pridham
Tondi
T
Harrison
Mary
M
Krolikowski
Mary Elizabeth
ME
Bathum
Lioness
L
Ayres
Jill
J
Winters
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009042:Motivation; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting