Experience of Holy Quran Recitation in Mothers of Premature Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Hospitalization of neonates, as a stressful event and a hard emotional crisis, interferes with performance of parental roles and endangers mothers’ physical and mental health. Muslim mothers tend to say prayers, adhere to holy profits, and recite the holy Quran in such conditions. The present study aimed to assess the experience of holy Quran recitation in mothers of preterm infants admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
In this qualitative study, seven mothers with premature infants admitted to NICU of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were selected through purposeful sampling. The participants’ experiences of holy Quran recitation were assessed through semi-structured interviews. Then, the data were analyzed using inductive content analysis.
Data analysis resulted in emergence of three major categories and eight subcategories. The first category was comprehensive advocacy which included three subcategories, namely faith in having a supporter, psychotherapy of Quran, and physical treatment of mothers and infants. The second category was being spiritual whose subcategories were incomparable pleasant experience, surrounding to Divine will, and a stronger than ever return to God. Finally, the third category was ability in life management and the subcategories were self- awareness, carrying out duties, and having control over the situation.
Mothers select holy Quran recitation in difficult and stressful situation of NICU. Their experience of reciting the holy Quran included elimination of psychological and physical needs of themselves and their newborns. The mothers believed that recitation of the holy Quran supported them and their children, empowered them to play their roles and have control over the situation, and directed their lives towards spirituality. Thus, Quran recitation is recommended to be facilitated and systematically considered as one of the most powerful ways to meet the mothers’ needs in NICUs.