Differences and similarities between mothers and fathers of premature children: a qualitative study of parents’ coping experiences in a neonatal intensive care unit

Preterm birth is a stressful event for families. In particular, the unexpectedly early delivery may cause negative feelings in mothers and fathers. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between preterm birth, parental stress and negative feelings, and the environmental setting of NICU. 21 mothers (age = 36.00 ± 6.85) and 19 fathers (age = 34.92 ± 4.58) of preterm infants (GA = 30.96 ± 2.97) and 20 mothers (age = 40.08 ± 4.76) and 20 fathers (age = 40.32 ± 6.77) of full-term infants (GA = 39.19 ± 1.42) were involved. All parents filled out the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Impact of Event Scale Revised, Profile of Mood States, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Post-Partum Bonding Questionnaire. Our data showed differences in emotional reactions between preterm and full-term parents. Results also revealed significant differences between mothers and fathers’ responses to preterm birth in terms of stress, negative feelings, and perceptions of social support. A correlation between negative conditions at birth (e.g., birth weight and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay) and higher scores in some scales of Impact of Event Scale Revised, Profile of Mood States and Post-Partum Bonding Questionnaire were found. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit may be a stressful place both for mothers and fathers. It might be useful to plan, as soon as possible, interventions to help parents through the experience of the premature birth of their child and to begin an immediately adaptive mode of care.

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Caregiving can be costly: A qualitative study of barriers and facilitators to conducting kangaroo mother care in a US tertiary hospital neonatal intensive care unit

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-019-2363-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Todd P. Lewis ◽

Kathryn G. Andrews ◽

Elyse Shenberger ◽

Theresa S. Betancourt ◽

Günther Fink ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Kangaroo Mother Care ◽

Barriers And Facilitators

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Stress and feelings in mothers and fathers in NICU: identifying risk factors for early interventions

Primary Health Care Research & Development ◽

10.1017/s1463423619000021 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Chiara Ionio ◽

Eleonora Mascheroni ◽

Caterina Colombo ◽

Francesca Castoldi ◽

Gianluca Lista

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Young Age ◽

Mothers And Fathers ◽

Father Relationship ◽

Negative Feelings

Abstract Aims The aims of this study were to explore parents’ stress levels and negative feelings after premature births and to identify the risk factors related to parents’ stress and negative feelings during their children’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay. Background Preterm birth is a multi-problematic event that may put the babies in danger for both their medical and neurophysiological conditions and could have a negative impact on both the mother–father relationship and the parent–child interactions. Methods The study involved 43 mothers and 38 fathers of preterm infants. All participants filled out the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Profile of Mood States. Findings The results revealed significant differences between mothers’ and fathers’ responses to preterm births in terms of both stress and negative feelings. We found that, for mothers, their own young age and the baby’s need for respiratory support were significant predictors of stress; for fathers, their own young age and the baby’s lower gestational age and worse condition at birth were significant predictors of stress and negative feelings. The NICU may be a stressful place both for mothers and fathers. Identifying which mothers and fathers are at risk immediately after their children are born could help to direct specific interventions that can reduce these parents’ stress and prevent them from negative feelings.

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Maternal experiences with specificities of prematurity that hinder breastfeeding

Texto & Contexto - Enfermagem ◽

10.1590/0104-07072015000540014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 55-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Luciana Barbosa Pereira ◽

Ana Cristina Freitas de Vilhena Abrão ◽

Conceição Vieira da Silva Ohara ◽

Circéa Amália Ribeiro

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Clinical Instability ◽

Mothers Of Preterm Infants ◽

Late Start

A qualitative study which has Symbolic Interactionism as theoretical framework and Interpretative Interactionism as its methodological one, aiming to unveil motherly experiences against prematurity peculiarities that hinder breastfeeding during infant's hospitalization at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Were interviewed 13 mothers of preterm infants assisted at an Outpatient Follow-up Clinic of Montes Claros MG, Brazil. Results show that as trying to breastfeed a premature infant, the mother interacts with situations signified by her as obstacles to breastfeeding: the "torment" of their child's hospitalization and clinical instability, the fear of baby's death, its difficulty to suck, the late start of breastfeeding interpreted a something difficult, as a risk to weight. We consider that although breastfeeding a preterm infant is a challenge, appropriate professional conducts and hospital procedures might facilitate it and therefore should be implemented, aiming at promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding.

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