E-ISSN 1858-8360 | ISSN 0256-4408
 

Original Article

Online Publishing Date:
27 / 06 / 2023

 


COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit

Usha Devi, Prakash Amboiram, Ashok Chandrasekaran, Umamaheswari Balakrishnan.


Abstract
Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission increases parents’ stress levels and it might be even higher in the crisis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and lockdown. This study was done to identify the stress levels of parents of admitted neonates and the difficulties encountered in neonatal care and follow-up during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The Parental Stressor Scale (PSS:NICU) and Perceived Stress Scale (PeSS) were used to identify the stress levels of parents of admitted neonates. Online survey form with a structured questionnaire comprising PeSS and NICU:PSS was sent through messaging app (Google form) after informed consent. PSS score of <14 was considered low stress, 14–26 moderate and >26 as high. A total of 118 parental responses (mother /father in 26, both in 46) for 72 admitted neonates, were obtained. The mean (SD) PeSS score was 19.7 (5.8%) and 92 (78%) had moderate stress while 11 (9%) had high stress. In NICU:PSS, sights-sounds and parental role had more median scores: 2.25 (1–3.75) and 2.21 (1–3.57), respectively. Maternal and paternal NICU:PSS (p-0.67) and PeSS (p0.056) scores were not statistically different. Keeping nil per oral, invasive ventilation, culture-positive sepsis, fathers’ transport difficulty and longer duration of mothers’ and neonates’ hospital stay was associated with increased NICU: PSS scores. Twenty (29%) parents could not bring their child for followup and there was a delay in immunisation in 21 (30%). The pandemic and the lockdown might have disrupted antenatal and postnatal follow-ups further adding to the parental stress.

Key words: COVID-19; Neonatal intensive care unit; Parents; Stress; Follow-up.


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Devi U, Amboiram P, Chandrasekaran A, Balakrishnan U. COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit. Sudan J Paed. 2023; 23(1): 21-31. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753


Web Style

Devi U, Amboiram P, Chandrasekaran A, Balakrishnan U. COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit. https://sudanjp.com//?mno=14827 [Access: June 21, 2024]. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753


AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Devi U, Amboiram P, Chandrasekaran A, Balakrishnan U. COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit. Sudan J Paed. 2023; 23(1): 21-31. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753



Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Devi U, Amboiram P, Chandrasekaran A, Balakrishnan U. COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit. Sudan J Paed. (2023), [cited June 21, 2024]; 23(1): 21-31. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753



Harvard Style

Devi, U., Amboiram, . P., Chandrasekaran, . A. & Balakrishnan, . U. (2023) COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit. Sudan J Paed, 23 (1), 21-31. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753



Turabian Style

Devi, Usha, Prakash Amboiram, Ashok Chandrasekaran, and Umamaheswari Balakrishnan. 2023. COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit. Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics, 23 (1), 21-31. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753



Chicago Style

Devi, Usha, Prakash Amboiram, Ashok Chandrasekaran, and Umamaheswari Balakrishnan. "COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit." Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics 23 (2023), 21-31. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753



MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Devi, Usha, Prakash Amboiram, Ashok Chandrasekaran, and Umamaheswari Balakrishnan. "COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit." Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics 23.1 (2023), 21-31. Print. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753



APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Devi, U., Amboiram, . P., Chandrasekaran, . A. & Balakrishnan, . U. (2023) COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: impact on parents’ stress level and infant care in a tertiary neonatal unit. Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics, 23 (1), 21-31. doi:10.24911/SJP.106-1643018753





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