Pregnancy can be a very exciting and joyous time in any mother’s and father’s life. This joy, however, may turn
to fear if the mother experiences a premature birth. Premature birth refers to when a baby is born too early—
before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Prematurity affects more than 450,000 babies each year and is the biggest
contributor to infant death. Babies who survive may face lifelong developmental challenges. It is not always
possible to explain the causes or contributors but, as a social worker, you may encounter mothers of premature
babies who feel guilty or blame themselves, wondering if they did something wrong. As a social worker, you
may have to help individuals, families, and communities respond to the psychosocial and medical issues that
emerge during this period.
In your text, you read about Felicia. Recall that Felicia is six months pregnant. Her husband, Paul, a member of
the military, is deployed to a combat zone. She wakes up in the night to cramping and bloody sheets. With 14
more weeks before her delivery date, she is in pre-term labor. Felicia is transported to the hospital where she
gives birth to a premature baby boy weighing 1 pound, 3 ounces. Baby Boy Thompson is immediately taken to
the NICU and connected to a ventilator, intravenous lines, and monitor leads. The NICU pediatrician speaks to
Felicia about the risks of her early delivery. Felicia is overcome with fear, grief, and guilt. She starts to question
herself: “Did my drinking influence this? I stopped six weeks in and I didn’t even know I was pregnant at that
time! I have quit smoking, but it took me three months. Could that have been it? Did I eat enough vegetables?
Perhaps one too many desserts? Did I not exercise enough? Or, maybe too much? The doctor said I could go
for walks. Just nothing high intensity. I didn’t think it was too much or little. Could the stress of Paul being gone
influence it? It must be my fault—what is it?” The NICU social worker is there to support her as she faces the
challenging transition to parenthood that is compounded by her husband’s deployment.
Adapted from Case Study 2.3, “The Thompsons’ premature birth” in Hutchison, E. D. (2019). Dimensions of
human behavior: The changing life course (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Required Readings:
Hutchison, E. D. (2019). Dimensions of human behavior: The changing life course (56th ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage Publications.
• Chapter 2, “Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth” (pp. 34-72)
Tsiaris, A. (2010, December). Conception to birth-Visualized [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/alexander_tsiaras_conception_to_birth_visualized.html
In this Discussion, you consider a case study that portrays issues related to developmental challenges in
infants.
To prepare: Review in full Case Study 2.3 on p. 36 of the course text.
Response to the following:
• Identify two developmental challenges that Baby Boy Thompson may exhibit.
• Explain how the dimensions of the person and environment perspective can be applied in this case.
• Describe two practice skills the social worker can employ in working with Felicia and Paul.
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