Stress and feelings in mothers and fathers in NICU: identifying risk factors for early interventions.

The results revealed significant differences between mothers' and fathers' responses to preterm births in terms of both stress and negative feelings. We found that, for mothers, their own young age and the baby's need for respiratory support were significant predictors of stress; for fathers, their own young age and the baby's lower gestational age and worse condition at birth were significant predictors of stress and negative feelings. The NICU may be a stressful place both for mothers and fathers. Identifying which mothers and fathers are at risk immediately after their children are born could help to direct specific interventions that can reduce these parents' stress and prevent them from negative feelings.