The premature birth of an infant and the following neonatal intensive care cause psychological distress and can have a traumatizing effect on parents. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment has the potential to exacerbate stress for parents of infants admitted to the NICU. Mothers have typically been found to have higher levels of distress than fathers and they experience significant levels of stress and depression in the early postpartum period. Maternal stress can have deleterious effects on mother-infant interaction, particularly on mothers’ abilities to form an attachment to their baby. Participating in infant care influences the maternal feelings in a positive direction. When the mother is nearby, breastfeeds and takes care of her child's daily care she has a feeling of participation. This situation creates a need for practices that support parents during the acute phase of their infant's hospitalization in neonatal intensive care. The facilitation of maternal confidence and positive parenting in the NICU may be a key point in establishing and sustaining long-term healthy mother-infant interactions and positive child outcomes.