Safe care for premature babies at home: Parenting and stimulating development

Parental daily care and adequate stimuli are extremely important for development and safety of premature babies at home. This study aimed to analyze safe home care for babies born under 32 weeks from parents’ perspectives, with a view to a longitudinal promotion of baby development. A qualitative study, based on philosophical hermeneutic approach proposed by Hans-Georg Gadamer, in which dialogue as a principle provides understanding and fusion of experiences and knowledge. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents of premature babies under 1 year of age. Thematic analysis proposed by Braun and Clarke was applied using an inductive approach. Elements related to safe care were identified: home arrival, safe home care: preserving baby health and development, support for safe home care, and development of parental care to promote baby safety. These elements can provide a basis for safe home care that needs to be reinforced longitudinally to increase particularities of baby protection, avoid accidents and illnesses, and improve appropriate developmental stimuli and positive parenting.