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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

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Published on: August 25, 2014

The NICU experience: how does it affect the parents' relationship?

Alexander N Manning1

  • 1The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ 08638, USA. alexnmanning@gmail.com

The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing
|November 1, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Parental stress from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay may strain relationships. Family-centered care may reduce relationship challenges for parents with infants in the NICU.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • Parental Relationship Dynamics
  • Childhood Illness Impact

Background:

  • Extensive research documents the negative effects of chronic childhood illness on parental relationships.
  • It is assumed that parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) face similar relationship risks.
  • However, specific research on the NICU's impact on parental relationships is limited, with most studies focusing on maternal well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization on the parent-partner relationship.
  • To explore the hypothesis that NICU experiences may strain or dissolve parental relationships.
  • To examine the potential of family-centered care to mitigate relationship stressors in the NICU.

Main Methods:

  • Hypothetical analysis based on existing research regarding chronic childhood illness.
  • Extrapolation of findings from studies on parental relationship strain due to childhood illness.
  • Examination of the potential role of family-centered care in the NICU context.

Main Results:

  • Hypothesized that NICU hospitalization poses a risk to parental relationships, potentially leading to dissolution.
  • Acknowledged limited empirical data specifically on NICU's effect on parental relationships.
  • Suggested family-centered care as a potential buffer against relationship stress.

Conclusions:

  • Parental relationships may be vulnerable during a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization.
  • Further research is needed to understand the specific effects of the NICU on fathers and the couple's relationship.
  • Family-centered care is a promising approach to support parental relationships in the NICU setting.

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