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Parenting very preterm infants and stress in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Inês Baía1, Mariana Amorim2, Susana Silva3

  • 1ISPUP-EPIUnit, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.

Early Human Development
|July 10, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Parental stress is high for mothers and fathers of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), with "change in parental role" being the most stressful aspect. Interventions are crucial to reduce parental stress and improve family health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine
  • Parental Psychology
  • Healthcare Management

Background:

  • Parental stress during infant hospitalization in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) requires assessment to identify at-risk parents.
  • Understanding parental stress is crucial for addressing immediate and long-term physical and emotional burdens on families.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify specific sources of stress experienced by mothers and fathers of very preterm infants in the NICU.
  • To examine the association between parental stress and sociodemographic, obstetric, and infant characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 mothers and 91 fathers of very preterm infants in level III NICUs.
  • The Portuguese version of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was utilized to measure stress levels.
  • Data were collected between July 2013 and June 2014, with a high participation rate of 96.8%.

Main Results:

  • The overall hospitalization experience was rated as highly stressful by parents.
  • 'Change in parental role' emerged as the most significant stressor for both mothers and fathers.
  • Mothers reported significantly higher stress levels across all subscales compared to fathers. Multiple pregnancies and being older than 30 were associated with reduced stress in mothers and fathers, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • There is a need for gender-sensitive instruments and interventions that incorporate social support and family-centered care principles.
  • Implementing targeted interventions to alleviate parental stress is essential for reducing health disparities within families.
  • Addressing parental stress in the NICU setting is vital for promoting overall family well-being.
Abstract

Keywords:
InfantIntensive Care UnitsNeonatalParentsPrematurePsychologicalStress

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