Perceived causes and interventions for preventing baby abandonment in NICUs: A thematic analysis

To explore the phenomenon of abandoned babies in Ghanaian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to describe the perceived causes and interventions. The study employed a descriptive qualitative design. The researchers explored and described the perspectives of families, nurses, midwives, and doctors in 24 interviews and 12 focus group discussions on abandoned babies in two NICUs. The data were analysed using thematic analysis facilitated by MAXQDA qualitative software version 2020 and reported following the COREQ guidelines and checklist. The perceived causes of abandoned babies and the perceived interventions for abandoned babies were the two major themes that emerged from the content analysis. The perceived causes of abandoned babies include the baby's condition, maternal conditions, sociocultural challenges on the part of families, a lack of information to integrate families into childcare, and inadequate funding to support the care of sick babies. The perceived interventions for abandoned babies in the Ghanaian context include staff contributions to support care, donations from individuals and institutions, strengthening the social welfare department and children's homes, and family conferences. Premature babies and those with congenital abnormalities may be abandoned by mentally challenged, teenage, or economically disadvantaged parents; therefore, institutions and policymakers may develop policies and guidelines to provide support for these families. The study highlights the alarming trend of abandoned babies, recommending that policymakers and institutions develop guidelines to provide respite and social protection for these vulnerable infants. Adopting a family-centered care approach in NICU care may be beneficial in reducing the menace.