Assessment of Parents Stressors Regarding their Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs)

Elbakre A.Shapan, Amane; Al-Sayed Hassan, Salma; Abdel Fattah Ali, Eman

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2023.411384

Assessment of Parents Stressors Regarding their Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ 1) B. Sc Nursing Science (2004), Maternal and Childhood Instructor

² 2) Professor and Head of Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing – Ain Shams University

³ 3) Assistant professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing – Ain Shams University

10.21608/ejhc.2023.411384

Abstract

Background Premature infant is an infant born before the end of 37weeks of gestation, regardless of birth weight. parents stressors affect parents and premature infants relationship and development. Aim: This study aimed to assess parents' stressors regarding their premature infant in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Design: A descriptive design was used to achieve the aim of the study. Sampling: A purposive sample comprised of 50 parents using the sample size formula. Setting: This study was conducted at neonatal intensive care units at Children Hospital affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals and NICU at Children Hospital in Al Hamoul General Hospital in Kafr El-Sheikh Tools: three tools were used, 1^sttool: An interviewing questionnaire format was used to assess parents and premature infants characteristics and assess parents’ knowledge regarding prematurity. 2^nd tool: Hospital stressors Scale which includes physical, psychological, social, and financial stressors, Assess parents’ stressors who having premature infants in NICUs. 3^rd tool: Parents’ Anxiety Scale to assess parents' anxiety level regarding premature infants, Results: This study revealed that more than half of the studied parents had satisfactory knowledge regarding premature infants and moderate level of physical stressors, sever level of psychological and social stressors, high level of financial stressors regarding premature infants and more than half of the studied parents had sever level of total anxiety. Conclusion: It can be concluded that more than two thirds of studied parents had moderate level of physical stressors and two thirds of them had severe level of psychological stressors. Recommendation: Continuous health education program for parents about care of premature infants to reduce their stressors facing them in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units.