Maternal stress in neonatal intensive care unit very often overlooked by health professionals

Admission of a neonate in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be very stressful for the mother, which often remains unattended by health-care professionals. Early identification of maternal stress, environmental stressors, and providing remediation will prove instrumental in providing a holistic family-based patient care.

The aim of the study was to analyze the stress levels among mothers whose babies were admitted to NICU.

This was a cross-sectional question-based observational study conducted in the pediatric department of a peripheral hospital in Pune, Maharashtra.

This was a cross-sectional, observational, hospital-based study. Maternal stress level was assessed using the Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS: NICU) questionnaire among 73 mothers. Stress score was quantified using Likert scale as low (1-2.9), moderate (3-3.9), and high (4-5), respectively.

Simple descriptive statistics method with frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation was used as applicable.

NICU environment is moderate to highly stressful for mothers. The mean score for each domain of PSS: NICU was as follows: sights and sounds, 2.60 (±0.43); looks and behavior, 3.47 (±0.31); and parental role alteration, 3.94 (±0.24), respectively. Maternal stress level remained high irrespective of age at delivery, educational level, occupation, mode of delivery, and number of living children.

Mothers of NICU-admitted babies are under significant stress, which needs to be identified early along with care of the sick neonate, so as to give a holistic care to the family.