Stress factors in parents of newborns admitted to an Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction and objective. The stress caused by the admission of a newborn alters the dynamics and structure of the family unit. The objective of this study is to analyze to analyze the stressors perceived by parents of newborns admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Methods. Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in the Neonatol Unit of Río Hortega University Hospital in Valladolid, during a one-year period. It included parents of newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for more than 48 hours, obtaining a total of 60 patients. Sociodemographic and clinical variables of the parents and newborns were collected and the translation and adaptation of the Parental Stressor Scale was applied. Participation in the study was voluntary.

Results. The general stress level obtained for mothers and fathers was moderate to extremely stressful (78.1%), it is the mothers that show the highest stress levels in the upper ranges, with 50% of them between very stressful and extremely stressful; while fathers remained at moderate levels with 42.4%. The most affected subscale after the evaluation of the Parental Stressor Scale was the parental role, specifically the mother/father-newborn separation factor (65.6% between very and extremely stressful). The was a statistically significant association (p< 0.021) between general stress and distance from residency to hospital.

Conclusion. The hospitalization of a newborn generates stress and anxiety in parents, altering the affective bond.