The Stress of Mothers with Preterm Infants from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Home: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Families of premature newborns hospitalized in intensive care tend to face fear and distress. After discharge, these families have different care needs, and some will continue to experience high levels of stress. Therefore, this study aimed to identify maternal stress levels and difficulties with at-home infant care using a parallel convergent mixed methods research design. Quantitative data were collected using the Parental Stress Scale (administered at a hospital) and the Parental Stress Index Scale (administered at a follow-up clinic) with 51 mothers of preterm infants in Brazil. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with 15 mothers, randomly selected from the quantitative sample 3 to 6 months after discharge. Higher maternal stress scores and lower parenting confidence were associated with child hospitalization. However, family support helped mothers adapt to the new home care routine, empowering them to develop healthy maternal competence. Data integration showed that the sample and subsample presented similar stress levels.