MATERNAL STRESS ASSESSMENT IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Abstract

Introduction. The birth of preterm infants who require treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be very stressful for parents.The aim of the study was to assess the level of stress in mothers of preterm newborns in the NICU, and to determine the factors that induce it.Material and Methods. The study included a maternal stress assessment of 141 mothers of preterm infants, treated in the NICUs, using the Parental Stress Scale: PSS: NICU. This questionnaire consisted of three subscales: Sights and Sounds of NICU – subscale 1 (S1), Infant Appearance and Behavior – S2, and Parental Role Alteration – S3.Results. Total PSS: NICU score in mothers was 3.38±0.71. 98 (69.5%) mothers experienced high levels of stress. Parental Role Alteration was the most stressful (4.14±0.76); Infant Appearance and Behavior (3.43±0.89) and Sights and Sounds in NICU also caused stress (2.21±0.97); p(S1–S2)<0.001, p(S1–S3)<0.001, p(S2–S3)<0.001. There was an association between the level of maternal stress and the number of visits to the NICU (p = 0.047), as well as the severity of an infant health status (presence of seizures in newborns (p = 0.006) and the need for ventilation) (p = 0.041). Mothers who kept on breastfeeding their infants at the time of discharge had lower stress scores, particularly in the Parental Role Alteration subscale (p = 0.011).Conclusion. Mothers of preterm infants who require the treatment in the NICU experience significant stress, as confirmed by a standardized questionnaire, with the most intensive parental role alteration. The scores of maternal stress depend on the severity of a child's condition (duration of treatment, presence of seizures, the need for ventilation), and the number of visits to the NICU.