Perceived Parental Stress in Open Bay Versus Single-Family Rooms in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

To assess the impact of changing the NICU environment from an open bay unit to a single-family room on perceived parental stress.

An observational longitudinal cohort study was conducted between February 2021 and January 2024, during which time the NICU environment of the Emma Children's Hospital Amsterdam UMC changed from open bay unit to a single-family room. Parents of infants admitted to the NICU were eligible for inclusion. The Parental Stress Score: NICU questionnaire was used to objectify perceived parental stress on day 8 and 28 of their infants' life.

The PSS:NICU was completed by 74 mothers and 57 partners on day 8 and 27 mothers and 9 partners on day 28. The general stress score on day 8 was high for mothers (4.0 [IQR 3.0-5.0]) and partners 3.0 (IQR 3-0-4.0), but similar during the open bay unit and single-family room. On day 28, mothers perceived more stress in the single-family room compared with the open bay unit, which originated from higher scores in the subscale 'Infant Behaviour and Appearance'.

High stress is experienced throughout the NICU stay. Transition to single-family rooms did not have a major impact on perceived parental stress.