By Kintu Conrad
Many Ugandan mothers walk into delivery rooms expecting joy, relief, and the thrill of welcoming a healthy baby. But for some, that joy is abruptly replaced by fear and anguish when their new-borns arrive with congenital anomalies—serious structural defects that threaten the baby’s life and disrupt the mother’s emotional world.
A new dissertation by Joseph Olimporera, a Master of Nursing Science student at Uganda Christian University (UCU), has shed light on this rarely discussed struggle. His study, *“The Lived Experience of Mothers Whose New-borns Are Hospitalized with Congenital Anomalies in a Tertiary Hospital in Central Uganda,”* reveals profound emotional distress among mothers whose babies are admitted soon after birth.
Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, Olimporera conducted in-depth interviews with nine mothers at a national referral hospital. What emerged were stories marked by shock, confusion, and fear.
“Most mothers described the experience as shocking and frightening,” Olimporera said. “Instead of the expected joy after childbirth, they faced emotional breakdowns and overwhelming uncertainty.”
Many mothers reported battling guilt despite lacking any medical explanation for their babies’ conditions. Some blamed themselves, believing they were somehow responsible for the anomaly. This guilt, combined with sadness and fear for their babies’ survival, intensified their emotional burden.
Financial strain further complicated their situation, as families struggled to meet the unexpected costs of prolonged hospital care.
Although health workers in neonatal units are highly skilled and focused on stabilising the fragile new-borns, the study found that mothers often felt emotionally neglected.
“The mothers’ emotional needs often go unnoticed because the priority is stabilizing the new-born,” Olimporera observed. “But this leaves mothers feeling isolated at a time when they need support the most.”
He emphasised the need for health workers to communicate more consistently, explain procedures clearly, and offer empathy. These small gestures, he said, can reduce distress and help mothers cope.
Despite the emotional strain, the mothers demonstrated resilience through spiritual beliefs, support from relatives, and encouragement from other women in the neonatal ward.
“Many mothers turned to prayer as their strongest source of hope,” Olimporera noted. Others found solace in listening to or sharing experiences with fellow mothers.
However, community stigma remains a major challenge. In some areas, congenital anomalies are still viewed as curses or divine punishment, silencing mothers and discouraging them from seeking help early.
Olimporera argues that neonatal care must extend beyond the baby to include the mother’s psychological well-being.
“Nursing care should not only focus on the baby’s survival but also address the mother’s emotional needs,” he said. “When mothers are supported, their babies benefit too.”
He recommends integrating counselling services, peer-support programmes, and family-centred communication into routine neonatal care.
Olimporera’s dissertation contributes valuable insights to nursing practice in Uganda and underscores the need for a more compassionate, holistic approach to caring for both mother and child.
His work highlights a simple but profound truth: behind every fragile new-born fighting for life is a mother silently carrying her own unseen wounds—wounds that the health system must not ignore.
