title: Maternal psychological distress and visitation to the neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine associations between maternal neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) visitation rates, maternal psychological distress ('distress') and preterm infant outcome post-NICU discharge in a contemporary cohort of very low birthweight (VLBW) infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study of 69 mothers and their VLBW infants. Distress was assessed 1-month postbirth, 2 weeks prior to NICU discharge and after NICU discharge at 4-month corrected age (CA). Maternal NICU visitation rates were calculated for the first 2 weeks and 1-month postbirth as well as for the entire NICU hospitalization. Regression analyses adjusted for the impact of (i) maternal and infant characteristics and distress on maternal visitation rates and (ii) the impact of visitation on long-term maternal distress and rates of infant clinic attendance and rehospitalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater number of children in the home, maternal exposure to a greater number of potentially traumatic events prior to childbirth and lower maternal anxiety consistently predicted lower visitation rate. Lower maternal visitation rate predicted higher maternal depression scores at infants' 4-month CA visit. Maternal NICU visitation rate did not predict post-NICU discharge infant clinic attendance or rehospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distress is an important predictor of visitation. In turn, visitation is associated with long-term maternal distress.
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Michelle M
authors: MM
authors: Greene
authors: College of Nursing, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Beverly
authors: B
authors: Rossman
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Kousiki
authors: K
authors: Patra
authors: College of Nursing, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Kratovil
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Samah
authors: S
authors: Khan
authors: College of Nursing, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Paula P
authors: PP
authors: Meier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Maternal neonatal intensive care unit visitation; Maternal psychological distress; Neonatal intensive care unit follow-up; Rehospitalization