title: Continuous and multiple waves of emotional responses: Mother's experience with a premature infant.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of premature births. Mothers of these newborns experience a high degree of stress over time. Since a more comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon can help the healthcare teams in detecting the deficiencies and needs of such newborns' mothers for a better and more effective intervention, the present study was carried out to describe the mothers' experiences in the area of premature birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study is a qualitative study with a content analysis approach. The data collection process included 15 semi-structured and in-depth interviews with the mothers delivering premature babies during 2012-2013 in the medical educational centers of north and northwest of Iran. A purposive sampling method was used. All the interviews were recorded, typed, and finally analyzed using a qualitative content analysis with a conventional method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data analysis led to the extraction of continuous and multiple waves of emotional responses in mothers with premature birth. This has been revealed in mothers by the different categories of affective reactions, symptoms of anxiety, and mood disturbances including decline in performance, individual shortcomings, and mental irritation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mothers' unpreparedness and unexpected childbirth make them encounter the multiple and continuous waves of emotional responses, which will consequently lead to decline in performance, individual shortcomings, and mental irritation among them. Therefore, in order to prevent the negative and long-term consequences of such reactions, it is recommended that more attention should be given to support these mothers as the main caregivers of such infants.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Child and Family Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Valizadeh
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical and Surgical, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zamanzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Medical Science Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Easa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Candidate of Nursing Education, Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Afsaneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arzani
keywords: Content analysis; emotional responses; mothers’ experiences; premature infant