Life after the NNU: the long term effects on mothers' lives, managing a child at home with broncho-pulmonary dysplasia and on home oxygen.

This study investigated the long-term influences on mothers' lives having managed an infant with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), on home oxygen. 16 mothers UK wide, whose children had been at home for over a year, formed this project, and completed a semi-structured questionnaire. All mothers displayed a high standard of literacy and were English/British by their own description with no indication of cross cultural or ethnic differences. Mothers, giving up jobs and careers to remain home, were the primary carers for their child, and experienced long term emotional distress, suffered from lowered self-esteem over many years, self-blame in some cases and grieved over many aspects of pregnancy, birth, babyhood and early childhood. The fear of infection led to these mothers keeping themselves and their children isolated, compounded for half the mothers who faced negative reactions from the community when they did go out with their child.