ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the prevalence of psychological distress that they may experience in the midst of this event and afterwards. Factors that place women at risk or protect them from psychological distress are identified. Following birth, preterm neonates are admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for medical care that supports their adjustment to life and bodily functions. Although both mothers and fathers experience adversity following a preterm birth, most of research has studied mothers, and much less is known about fathers. A meta-analysis examining NICU-stress measured with the PSS:NICU found that parents whose infant weighed less at birth experience greater stress about the alteration of their parental role. A 2003 study was one of the first to suggest that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might be experienced following preterm birth. In contrast in the second study, mothers of infants assigned to single family room reported NICU-stress compared to open ward mothers, and their children had poorer language development as toddlers.
