Related Experiment Videos
Fathers' Stress in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Betty Noergaard1, Jette Ammentorp, Ester Garne
1Department of Paediatrics (Mr Noergaard and Drs Garne, Fenger-Gron, and Kofoed) and Health Services Research Unit (Dr Ammentorp), Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark; and Institute of Regional Health Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Insights
A father-friendly neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) intervention increased paternal stress. Fathers need support to balance caregiving and traditional roles, and more research is needed to measure intervention effects.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Paternal psychology
- Family-centered care
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) often focus on mothers and infants, potentially hindering fathers' bonding and increasing their stress.
- Fathers may face challenges in establishing an optimal father-child relationship during infant hospitalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a father-friendly NICU environment on paternal stress levels.
- To evaluate the influence of NICU interventions on fathers' participation in childcare.
Main Methods:
- A quasiexperimental design involving 109 fathers of premature infants (≥28 weeks gestational age).
- Paternal stress measured using the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU).
- Childcare participation assessed via 7 additional items, with data collected at admission, day 14, and discharge.
Main Results:
- The overall PSS:NICU stress score increased post-intervention.
- Factors contributing to increased stress included paternal involvement, staff expectations, and societal roles (breadwinner/caregiver).
Conclusions:
- Healthcare professionals should recognize fathers as equal coparents and actively encourage their involvement.
- Nurses play a key role in motivating and supporting fathers, despite potential increases in their stress.
- Further research requires refined outcome measures to accurately assess intervention effects on paternal stress.
Background:
Healthcare professionals in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) tend to focus attention on the mothers and the newborn infants. Thus, fathers may find it difficult to establish an optimal father-child relationship and their stress may increase and persist during hospitalization.
Purpose:
To investigate the impact of a more father-friendly NICU on paternal stress and their participation in childcare.
Methods:
A quasiexperimental design was conducted on Danish-speaking fathers of newborn infants 28 or more weeks' gestational age. The Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU) was used to measure paternal perceptions of stressors. Paternal participation in childcare was measured using 7 additional items. The questionnaires were distributed on admission to the NICU, at the 14th day of hospitalization, and at the time of discharge. The primary outcome was the difference in the PSS:NICU overall stress score on admission to the NICU and at the time of discharge in the control group compared with the intervention group.
Results:
A total of 109 fathers were included. The overall PSS:NICU stress score increased after the intervention. Paternal involvement, staff expectations, and the social expectation to fulfill the traditional role of a breadwinner and additionally of a caregiver may have caused increased stress.
Implications For Practice:
Healthcare professionals must be aware of the father's need to be an equal coparent. Nurses, as key persons, should motivate and expect fathers to be involved, and support them to establish a father-child relationship, although they might become more stressed.
Implications For Research:
More adequate outcome measures are needed to determine the effect of interventions on paternal stress.