When Baby Stops Breathing: Analysis of Mothers’ Interviews

Sudden unexplained infant death is responsible for 14% of Indiana’s infant mortality. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe mothers’ experiences when death of an infant occurred suddenly and unexpectedly. Field deputies or social workers interviewed mothers from central Indiana during the child-death team investigations. The Thematic Analysis Program from the Joanna Briggs Institute was used to analyze interview data. Sixteen de-identified interview cases were extracted, and a meta-aggregate method was conducted. The three synthesized themes were Extreme Emotional Shock, We Feel Like We’re to Blame, and Working Toward Moving On. Understanding these phenomena from mothers’ experience may assist in eliminating risks associated with infant deaths and inform nursing practice and policy.