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Updated: Aug 10, 2025

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

Published on: August 25, 2014

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Evaluation of parental stress in neonatal intensive care unit in Iran: a national study

Mohammad Heidarzadeh1, Haydeh Heidari2, Ali Ahmadi3

  • 1Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

BMC Nursing
|February 15, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Parental stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is significant, with mothers experiencing higher stress levels than fathers. Health policymakers should address these stress factors, especially for mothers, through targeted interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care
  • Parental mental health
  • Healthcare policy

Background:

  • Parental stress is often overlooked in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) settings, despite its impact on families.
  • This study addresses the gap by quantifying parental stress levels in the NICU environment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine and analyze the levels of parental stress experienced by parents with infants admitted to the NICU.
  • To identify demographic and situational factors associated with parental stress in the NICU.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive-analytical study was conducted in Iran, involving 2456 parents of infants in the NICU.
  • Data were collected using the 11-item Parental Stress Questionnaire and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire via multi-stage random sampling.

Main Results:

  • Parents of Baloch ethnicity reported the highest average stress levels (11.52).
  • Mothers exhibited significantly higher mean stress scores across all dimensions (physical symptoms, anxiety, social functioning, depression) compared to fathers.
  • A statistically significant association was found between length of hospitalization and parental stress scores (p < 0.002).
  • Lack of decisive responses from healthcare providers was identified as a major stressor (8.1%).

Conclusions:

  • Mothers experience greater stress than fathers in the NICU, necessitating focused attention from health policymakers.
  • Interventions should be developed to mitigate parental stress, particularly for mothers identified as high-risk.
  • Addressing specific stressors like communication deficits is crucial for improving the NICU experience for parents.
Abstract

Keywords:
Health Care SystemNeonatal Intensive Care UnitParentsStress

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