Living with unsettled baby behaviours: Qualitative interview study exploring parental perceptions and experiences of help-seeking

Abstract

Aim: To explore parents' perceptions/experiences of help-seeking for unsettled baby behaviours, including views and experiences of obtaining advice from primary healthcare professionals. Design: Semi-structured qualitative interviews. Methods: Recruitment occurred via social media, general practice and health visiting teams. Remote semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of babies. Babies were under 12 months old at time of interview, and parents had perceived unsettled baby behaviours in their first 4 months of life. Interviews were transcribed and data analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Based on interviews with 25 mothers, four main themes were developed. ‘The need for answers’ highlighted parental uncertainty about what constitutes normal baby behaviour, leading to help-seeking from multiple sources. ‘The importance of health professionals’ and ‘Experiencing health professional support’ identified perceptions about limited access, communication, mixed advice and how these influenced parental perception/management of behaviours. ‘Foundations to help-seeking’ highlighted important roles of social support and online help for valued shared experiences, emotional and practical support. Conclusion: Health professional access and advice are important to parents, despite the increasing role of online help and importance of social support. More support and improved access to reliable sources of information is needed for parents. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Findings will inform future research and clinical practice to address parental uncertainties. Qualitative research with front-line health professionals is necessary. Impact: Findings can inform the development of resources to support professionals/families managing unsettled babies. Reporting Method: Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. Public Involvement: A public contributor was involved throughout all stages of the research. Emerging findings were discussed at a parent group. What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community?: Addressing parental uncertainties is important; about what is normal, non-pharmacological approaches and when pharmacological intervention is required. A digital information/self-management intervention may be useful for parents/clinicians.