Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Uncertainty And Perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kathryn J. Malin, Teresa S. Johnson, Roger L. Brown, Jonathan Leuthner, Margaret Malnory, Rosemary White-Traut, Erin Rholl, Joanne Lagatta

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at increased risk of developing perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PPTSD), a mental health condition known to interfere with healthy parental and infant attachment. Feelings of uncertainty about illness have been theorized as an antecedent to post-traumatic stress, however the relationship has not been explored in parents of infants requiring care in the NICU. The purpose of this prospective study was to explore parental uncertainty during and after NICU discharge and the relationship between uncertainty and PPTSD. The sample consisted of 319 parents during NICU hospitalization and 245 parents at …

Parent Health-Related Quality Of Life For Infants With Congenital Anomalies Receiving Neonatal Intensive Care, Krishna Acharya, Erin Rholl, Kathryn J. Malin, Margaret Malnory, Jonathan Leuthner, Steven R. Leuthner, Joanne Lagatta

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To examine factors associated with parent quality of life during and after neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge among parents of infants with congenital anomalies admitted to the NICU.

Study design

This secondary analysis of 2 prospective cohort studies between 2016 and 2020 at a level IV NICU included parents of infants with major congenital anomalies receiving NICU care. The primary outcomes were parent health-related quality of life (HRQL) during the NICU stay and at 3 months post-NICU discharge.

Results

A total of 166 parent–infant dyads were enrolled in the study, 124 of which completed the 3-month follow-up interview. …