Stress in fathers of surgical neonatal intensive care unit babies

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Pediatric surgery
• Psychology
• Parental well-being

Background:

• Infants admitted to a surgical neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) often present unique challenges for families.
• Paternal stress during infant hospitalization is a critical but often understudied aspect of neonatal care.
• Understanding the specific stressors fathers face can inform targeted support interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and quantify the specific components of perceived stress experienced by fathers of infants in a surgical NICU.
• To assess the impact of infant hospitalization on paternal psychological well-being within a specialized care setting.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Parent Stressor Scale: Infant Hospitalization (PSS:IH) questionnaire.
• Assessed perceived stress levels in a cohort of 22 fathers with infants in a surgical NICU.
• Analyzed stress scores across different domains of the PSS:IH.

Main Results:

• Fathers reported the highest levels of stress in the 'Parental Role Alteration' and 'Infant Appearance and Behavior' domains.
• The 'Sights and Sounds' domain of the NICU environment was not significantly associated with self-reported paternal stress.
• The study confirmed elevated perceived stress among fathers of infants in surgical NICU settings.

Conclusions:

• Fathers of infants in surgical NICUs experience substantial psychological distress, particularly concerning their changing roles and infant's condition.
• Findings highlight the need for increased attention and tailored support for fathers in the NICU environment.
• Interventions should consider addressing parental role adjustments and concerns about infant appearance and behavior.