Perception of Stress and Styles of Coping with It in Parents Giving Kangaroo Mother Care to Their Children during Hospitalization in NICU.

Małgorzata Nagórska,Katarzyna Kanadys,Barbara Zych,Witold Błaż,Anna Lewandowska,Ewa Dmoch-Gajzlerska

doi:10.3390/ijerph182312694

Abstract

The experience of hospitalization of a newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) may become distressing both for the baby and parent. The study aimed to assess the degree of parental stress and coping strategies in parents giving KMC to their babies hospitalized in NICU compared to the control group parents not giving KMC. The prospective observational study enrolled a cohort of 337 parents of premature babies hospitalized in NICU in 2016 in Eastern Poland. The Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations were used. The level of stress in parents giving KMC was defined as low or moderate. Analysis confirmed its greater presence in the group of parents initiating KMC late (2–3 weeks) compared to those starting this initiative in week 1 of a child’s life. An additional predictor of a higher level of stress in parents initiating KMC “late” was the hospital environment of a premature baby. Task oriented coping was the most common coping strategy in the study group. KMC and direct skin-to-skin contact of the parent with the baby was associated with a higher level of parental stress only initially and decreased with time and KMC frequency.

Highlights

We examined a group of parents of premature babies born with moderately low body mass (1500–2499 g) and hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
The least frequently expressed strategy of coping with stress by parents was Avoidance oriented coping (AOC) (4 STEN according to Polish standards) despite the fact that the results show only a higher intensity among parents giving Kangaroo-Mother Care Method (KMC) to their children from birth but intermittently
Undertaking KMC related to the direct contact of naked skin of a parent with a child, showed a higher level of parental stress only in the initial period of hospitalization and treatment of the child

Summary

Introduction

Kangaroo-Mother Care Method (KMC) is the direct skin-to-skin contact of a parent with a baby. KMC should become a routine care method because of the undeniable evidence for its beneficial effects on the baby and parents. It is a “normal environment” that guarantees a continuous, almost 24-h skin to skin contact with frequent, exclusive or almost exclusive breastfeeding [2,3]. KMC is effective and simple tactile stimulation of the baby resembling natural care provided by the mother It proved to be more beneficial than touching, stroking or even massage, it is recommended to be started as soon as possible [2,4]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion