Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and maternal mental health

Abstract

Admittance of newborns into a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a common, though often unexpected, occurrence. Prior research on the psychological impacts of a NICU admittance for new mothers has utilized hospital samples for postpartum depressive symptomology. The current study draws upon a transition to motherhood survey conducted in 2016 of 127 women during pregnancy and following the birth of a first child. Though there were no significant differences in depression scores during pregnancy, multiple regression analyses indicate that women whose infants were admitted to a NICU following birth reported significantly higher postpartum depressive symptomology than women whose infants were not admitted to a NICU. These findings suggest implications for policies and practices that enhance maternal well-being following an infant's NICU admittance.