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Updated: May 16, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
NICU admissions and maternal stress levels
Nitish Chourasia1, Pushkala Surianarayanan, B Adhisivam
1Neonatal Division, Department of Pediatrics, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research JIPMER, Pondicherry 605 006, India.
Objective:
To determine the stress levels among mothers of babies admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and to identify demographic parameters that influence their stress levels.
Methods:
Stress levels were assessed using Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU) questionnaire among 100 NICU mothers by doctors between 6 and 8 d of admission. Maternal stress was quantified using Likert scale as low (1-2.9), medium (3-3.9) and high (4-5). The data was analyzed using SPSS Ver.16.
Results:
The mean scores for the subscales sights and sounds, looks and behaviour and alteration in the parental role were 2.55, 4.1 and 4.12 respectively. Increased maternal age, prematurity of baby, longer NICU stay and inability to directly breastfeed the baby were associated with higher stress levels.
Conclusions:
NICU mothers are under significant stress and appropriate counseling targeted towards specific stressors is required.
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