Postnatal hospitalization and self-esteem in mothers

INTRODUCTION: Hospitalization in neonatology constitutes a narcissistic wound for the mother. This mother-baby separation disturbs the maternal identity and generates a strong feeling of failure and guilt. OBJECTIVES: To assess self-esteem in mothers of babies hospitalised during the postnatal period in the neonatal unit and to identify risk factors associated with the persistence of low self-esteem 3 months after discharge. METHODS: This was a longitudinal, descriptive and analytical study conducted between April and September 2021. The sample consisted of mothers of babies hospitalized in the neonatology department of Sfax-Tunisia for a period ranging from 5 to 15 days. Socio-demographic data were collected using a pre-established form. Self-esteem was assessed during the baby’s hospitalisation and 3 months after discharge, using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, with 10 items, validated in Arabic. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 86 mothers with a mean age of 32.17 years. Low to very low self-esteem was found in mothers in 81.20% of cases when their babies were hospitalised and in 68.40% of cases 3 months after discharge. Some factors were significantly related to the persistence of low self-esteem in mothers after 3 months of their babies’ hospitalisation, such as a low educational level of the mother (p=0.017), an unattended pregnancy (p=0.034), the occurrence of a post-partum complication (p=0.043) and the absence of the first smile in the baby at the age of 3 months (p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a high prevalence of low self-esteem in mothers following hospitalization of their babies in the postnatal period. The concomitance with several socio-clinical factors contributes to the persistence of this low level of self-esteem in these mothers. Appropriate early and multidisciplinary care helps to rebuild strong self-esteem in the young mother so that she can overcome her psychological difficulties and build a solid foundation for the mother-baby bond. DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST: None Declared