The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Environmental Stressors and Supports.

Kristen Williams,Julie Stausmire,Mary Mathis,Christy Bridges,Jennifer Barkin,Kayla Patel

doi:10.3390/ijerph15010060

Abstract

The relationship between maternal mental health and infant development has been established in the literature. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a particularly challenging environment for new mothers as several natural processes are disrupted. The objective of this study is to elucidate protective factors and environmental deficits associated with the NICU. The experiences of forty-six (n = 46) mothers of infants admitted to a Level III NICU in the Midwestern United States, who responded to a related open-ended question, were analyzed thematically. Five themes related to the NICU environment emerged as being either stressful or helpful: (1) amount and quality of communication with medical staff, (2) bedside manner of medical staff, (3) feeling alienated from infant’s care, (4) support from other NICU mothers and families, and (5) NICU Physical Environment and Regulations. There is a need for medical staff training on awareness, communication, empathy, and other behaviors that might improve maternal (and parental) experiences in the NICU. The physical environment, including rules and regulations of the NICU, should be reexamined with family comfort in mind in addition to the clinical care of the infant.

Highlights

Giving birth to an ill or high-risk infant that requires admission to the Neonatal Intensive CareUnit (NICU) creates additional layers of responsibility for mothers who are already facing a major life adjustment [1,2]
According to Gonya et al [11], women who exhibit higher levels of stress interact less with their infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and are less likely to participate in skin-to-skin contact which has been proven to have beneficial effects on newborn health and recovery from complications [11]
This research as well as the results from the current study suggest a need for medical staff in the NICU

Summary

Introduction

Unit (NICU) creates additional layers of responsibility for mothers who are already facing a major life adjustment [1,2]. This often portends to unforeseen complexities in daily life while both the child is in the NICU and after discharge given potentially complex home care plans. Challenges such as transportation to and from the NICU, visitation hours and balancing other aspects of family life can create a great deal of stress on parents of infants in the NICU [3]. Holditch et al [7]

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Discussion

Conclusion