title: Influence of NICU co-care facilities and skin-to-skin contact on maternal stress in mothers of preterm infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of co-care facilities and amount of skin-to-skin contact during Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay on maternal stress in mothers of preterm infants at two months corrected age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study that involved 300 mothers of pre-term infants was conducted in four NICUs (two with co-care facilities and two with non co-care) in Sweden. Data on duration of skin-to-skin contact per day for all days admitted to the NICU were collected using self-reports. Maternal stress was measured by the Swedish Parental Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ) at two months of infant's corrected age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mothers whose infants were cared for in a NICU with co-care facilities reported significantly lower levels of stress in the dimension of 'incompetence' compared to mothers whose infants had been cared for in non co-care NICUs. The amount of skin-to-skin experienced during the neonatal stay was not significantly associated with levels of maternal stress at two months corrected age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding that mothers who do not experience co-care facilities experience greater levels of stress in relation to feelings of incompetence is of concern. Improvements to NICU environments are needed to ensure that mother-infant dyads are not separated.
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit (MAINN), School of Health, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; School of Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden. Electronic address: rfl@du.se.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flacking
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ekenberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Löwegren
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wallin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D060127:Kangaroo-Mother Care Method; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012386:Rooming-in Care; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012867:Skin; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Co-care; Mother; Neonatal intensive care unit; Parental stress; Preterm infant; Skin to skin