Incidence and Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Objective The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of documented ACEs for infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and assess for an association between neonatal ACEs and adverse outcomes. Study Design: A retrospective chart review was performed on all infants admitted to a Level III NICU for 6 months. Neonatal and maternal charts were reviewed for five ACEs: intimate partner violence, parental mental illness, incarceration, separation, and substance use. Result Data was collected for 203 infants. One or more ACEs were documented in 118 (58%) of infants and 3 or more ACEs in 12 (6%) of infants. Paternal mental illness was documented in only 1% (2) of infants. Conclusion The true incidence of neonatal ACEs remains unknown as most paternal data is not documented in the infant’s chart. There is an increased need to screen and document ACEs in infants admitted to the NICU to better understand the impact in this at risk population.