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Background Cancer treatments may induce side effects and cause eating problems. A gastrostomy tube may be required in order to maintain and optimise the child's nutritional needs. Despite the use of a gastrostomy tube, it is important to maintain a natural and attractive mealtime for the child. The Five Aspect Meal Model is age neutral and originally designed to improve restaurant visits. Its five aspects conceptualise what is necessary to ensure a complete meal experience. To date, there is lack of knowledge to guided model development about mealtimes adapted to children and limited knowledge regarding mealtime experiences for children with a gastrostomy tube. Aim The aim was to investigate whether the Five Aspect Meal Model could be appropriate to be used for children with a gastrostomy tube in caring science and paediatric care. Methods The design followed steps retrieved from Renjith and colleagues. Seven interviews were performed with the Five Aspect Meal Model as a base in the interview guide. The transcripts were analysed by using a qualitative directed content analysis with a deductive approach, which finally passed into a more inductive one. Findings All aspects of the Five Aspect Meal Model were represented in the interviews. There were also experiences related to the gastrostomy tube and the mealtimes that did not fit into any of the five predetermined categories. As a result, the modified version was developed, an adapted prescribing practice model that includes seven aspects, whereof bodily discomfort and time for change and acceptance are specific to children with a gastrostomy tube. Conclusion Based on children and their parent's experiences, the Five Aspect Meal Model has been developed and adapted into a modified version, which includes seven aspects. The modified version seems to be appropriate to use within caring science and paediatric care. more...

Background Parental classes consisting of only fathers, hereafter referred to as father groups, have existed in Sweden since the mid-1990s. Objective To describe the father group leaders' perspectives on and experiences of father groups. Method A qualitative study was conducted using content analysis. Eleven individual interviews with father group leaders were conducted. An interview guide was used. Settings and participants The study was set in different parts of Sweden. The participants were eleven men who are father group leaders. They were recruited using the snowball method. Findings The father group leaders described how participants often have high education levels and orderly social circumstances. The leaders described that the groups increased the fathers' reflection about parenthood, which could benefit the whole family in both the short and long term. The father group leaders reported that some of the topics in the sessions directly influenced fathers to discuss issues regarding equality and their co-parenting relationship. They also argued that participating in father groups might help convince fathers to take more parental leave and build stronger relationships with their partner and child. more...

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) in newborns have implications for feeding. It might impede the child's attempts to seal around the nipple and to create intraoral pressure. Parents needed support and information about feeding after birth. Mothers' own experiences and how they coped with the challenges related to feeding have not been extensively studied. The aims of this study were twofold: to describe the experiences of feeding for mothers of children born with CLP and to elucidate how the mothers cope with the challenges related to feeding. A qualitative descriptive method and phenomenographic analysis were used to analyse the narratives. Twelve mothers of babies with CLP were strategically selected and interviewed. A semi-structured interview guide was used. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the local ethical committee. The findings resulted in two main categories and five subcategories. The first main category, Being a capable and good mother, included descriptions associated with the mothers' strong desire to do what was best for the child and about how they experienced feeding. The second main category, Coping with the challenges related to feeding, included descriptions of what the mothers perceived as important in order to cope with the challenges related to feeding; of how personal resources were used; of the significance of the father and close family; and of how healthcare professionals contributed. In conclusion, mothers of children born with CLP were in need of individual information by healthcare professionals with expertise, at the time of the diagnosis and until the feeding was manageable. Furthermore, the mothers' personal resources, the fathers and immediate family were of major importance for the mothers to cope with challenges related to feeding. more...