COVID-19 Pandemic Experiences and Maternal Stress in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Carmina Erdei,Natalie Feldman,Leena Mittal,Cindy Hsin Ju Liu,Amanda Koire

doi:10.3390/children9020251

Carmina Erdei, Natalie Feldman + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/children9020251

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Abstract

COVID-19 compounds the already high levels of psychological distress experienced by NICU mothers. We aimed to describe the rates of NICU-related maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine how COVID-19 experiences correlate with high levels of stress experienced by NICU mothers. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis based on responses to a nationwide online survey to understand the relationship between COVID-19-related experiences and the stress experienced by mothers of infants admitted to U.S. NICUs (n = 108) during the pandemic. Results indicate that 61.9% of surveyed mothers reported experiencing high levels of stress on the Parental Stressor Scale: NICU. COVID-19-related grief was significantly associated with higher levels of maternal stress, as it related to seeing the baby’s appearance and behavior in the NICU and exposure to sights and sounds within the NICU environment. No significant associations were noted between parental stress and COVID-19-related health worries or worries about resources. Of note, our recruitment relied on convenience sampling, limiting the generalizability of study results. In conclusion, mothers who experience COVID-19-related grief appear to be more vulnerable to NICU-related stress. Prioritizing parent involvement and enhancing psychosocial support are essential strategies to mitigate the long-term consequences of heightened stress for NICU families.

Highlights

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a major disruption for individuals across the world, with elevated rates of mental health symptoms observed since March of 2020, when the U.S outbreak first occurred [1,2]
Another study indicated that 35% of mothers with neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experienced acute stress disorder, which progressed to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 8% of the cohort [8]
For the purpose of this work, we focused on COVID-19-related experiences, inclusive of health worry, worries related to access to resources, and grief associated with lost experiences during the pandemic, and their relationship to self-reported stress of parents who have an infant hospitalized in the NICU

Summary

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a major disruption for individuals across the world, with elevated rates of mental health symptoms observed since March of 2020, when the U.S outbreak first occurred [1,2]. Parents of infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience increased rates of emotional distress and mental health problems in the perinatal period [6] This is driven by multiple factors, including parent separation from the infant, who requires intensive care in an unfamiliar, highly medicalized environment; alteration of parental role; concern about a threat to the infant’s life; postpartum status of the parents; and competing responsibilities that NICU families are likely to experience. These stressors can accumulate and result in clinically significant mental health outcomes for parents. Another study indicated that 35% of mothers with neonates admitted to the NICU experienced acute stress disorder, which progressed to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 8% of the cohort [8]

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