Stress And Coping Strategies Of Mothers Of Preterm Infants Admitted In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background: Beginning throughout pregnancy is the beginning of the process of attaining new roles and transitioning into new roles that is known as parenting. The shift will be complete once the moms have reached a level of comfort and confidence in their ability to fulfil the role of mother. It is important that the time immediately after birth be an environment that is favorable to the development of maternal baby bonding so that the relationship between mothers and their infants can be improved. It is distressing for both the mother and the infant if the newborn is separated from the mother either at the time of birth or after the link has been established. Material & Methods: The stress levels and methods of dealing with stress utilized by moms of preterm infants referred to tertiary care centres were evaluated using a descriptive research methodology. There were a total of sixty moms of premature infants that took part in the study. The samples were collected using a technique called purposeful sampling. After receiving their informed consent, the researchers included in the study any parent who was willing to take part and who possessed either English or Marathi language skills. During the second through seventh days of admission, a validated questionnaire was used to assess the levels of stress as well as coping mechanisms. Data on demographic characteristics were gathered. Both the coping style and the level of parental stress were evaluated with the help of a parental stressor scale and a brief COPE questionnaire, respectively. The findings of this particular research project revealed that there were a total of 60 postnatal mothers who did not have a history of psychiatric disorder. The areas of newborn and appearance change, as well as changes in parental role, were found to produce the highest levels of stress for mothers. The results were disrupted by logical reasoning and supported by a condensed version of the COPE model. The examination of the data revealed that praying, developing a relationship with the infant, and coming to terms with the situation were the three most prominent themes. 
Conclusion: The fact that the mothers of babies who are being treated in the NICU are under severe stress is something that needs to be identified as early as possible in conjunction with the treatment of unwell newborns in order to provide holistic care to the family..