Stress and Coping among Parents of Preterm Infants Admitted to Neonatal Care |Units of Central Hospitals of Nepal

Abstract

Background: Hospitalization in neonatal care units (NCUs) is distressing to parents. Stress and inadequate coping with the situation hinder parents' emotional health and parenting roles. The dearth of information is available about it in Nepali context. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the stress and coping strategies of parents of PTIs in NCUs.
 Methods: The descriptive phenomenological study was conducted in NCUs of three public tertiary hospitals in Kathmandu Nepal. In-person in-depth interviews were conducted among the purposively selected 15 parents of preterm and low birth weight infants admitted to NCUs. The obtained data were analyzed using the content analysis method.
 Findings: Two themes emerged namely psychological distress and insecurity and coping with the support system. Their distress was related to the condition and progress of their PTIs, infant-parent separation, altered parenting roles, and the burden of longer hospitalization. Family, friends, other parents, and staff of NCUs were their support sources. They coped with the situation with religious faith, patience, sharing with peer parents, being close with the PTIs, and involving in PTI care.
 Conclusion: Admission of PTIs to NCUs is distressing to parents. In addition, to support from family and friends, parents valued NCU staffs' support for coping and expected more support. Opportunities for infant-parent attachment, care involvement and peer-to-peer support are their effective coping measures. Improving parental support provision in NCUs considering the stressors and effective coping measures would be praiseworthy to enhance the psychological well-being of the parents