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Parental protective factors and stress in NICU mothers and fathers

Journal of Perinatology volume 41, pages 2000–2008 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

Evaluate the effect of parental protective factors on parental stress at time of NICU admission and prior to discharge.

Study design

Parents of infants born at <35 weeks gestation were approached at a single level III NICU. Consenting parents completed a questionnaire on admission and prior to infant’s discharge of demographic information and three validated instruments: (1) parental stress (PSS:NICU), (2) Parents’ Assessment of Protective Factors (PAPF), and (3) health literacy (PHLAT-8).

Results

Mean PSS:NICU Total score was 2.8 ± 0.9 (Time 1) and 2.6 ± 1.1 (Time 2). Mean PAPF scores in all subcategories were high (means >3, ±0.3–0.5) (Time 1, Time 2). There was no clinically significant association between PSS:NICU scores and PAPF or any of the other measured variables.

Conclusion

PAPF and other commonly implicated factors were not associated with perceived self-reported parental stress at time of NICU admission and prior to discharge.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatrics/Neontalogy, ChristianaCare, Newark, DE, USA

    Alina Ivashchuk, Ursula Guillen, Amy Mackley, Robert Locke & Wendy Sturtz

  2. Pediatrics/Neonatology, Thomas Jefferson University/Nemours, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Alina Ivashchuk

Authors
  1. Alina Ivashchuk
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  2. Ursula Guillen
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  3. Amy Mackley
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  4. Robert Locke
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  5. Wendy Sturtz
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Contributions

AI was the principal investigator and was primarily responsible for manuscript preparation. UG contributed to research methodology and manuscript editing. AM contributed to research methodology, assisted with subject enrollment, and manuscript editing. RL contributed to research methodology, was primarily responsible for statistical analysis, and contributed to manuscript editing. WS was the mentor for the study and contributed to research methodology and manuscript editing.

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Correspondence to Alina Ivashchuk.

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Ivashchuk, A., Guillen, U., Mackley, A. et al. Parental protective factors and stress in NICU mothers and fathers. J Perinatol 41, 2000–2008 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-00908-4

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