Abstract
Separation and reunion between mothers and infants who have been placed in a NICU due to low birth weight have traditionally been studied in the field of nursing, and have seldom been studied by developmental psychologists. The present study investigated emotional conflicts and real life experiences, through an analysis of interviews conducted with 8 mothers, based on a phenomenological approach. Consistent with insights from past maternity nursing research, the present findings suggested that mothers suffered from guilt for bearing children with a low birth weight, and felt a psychological distance from the infants due to their separation from the infants who were placed in incubators. These feelings, however, disappeared quickly when the mothers became able to hold their infants without restraint. The discussion focused on the practical and theoretical implications of this study.
