RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: By nature, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment is stressful for both infants and mothers. This study aimed to explore and quantify the severity of early life stressors in premature infants admitted to the NICU and evaluate the effect of cumulative neonatal stressors on maternal mental health. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 100 preterm infants admitted to the NICU for at least 10 days. Daily experiences with painful/stressful procedures for 10 days were determined using the Neonatal Infant Stressor Scale. The included mothers were assessed for their psychological well-being 1 week after NICU admission using the Parental Stressor Scale: NICU and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. RESULTS: During the first 10 days of NICU admission, preterm infants experienced an average of 350.76 ± 84.43 acute procedures and an average of 44.84 ± 11.12 cumulative hours of chronic events, with the highest scores recorded on first 3 days of admission. Although intravenous flushing for patency was the most frequent acute procedure, blood gas sampling was the most painful. Forty-five percent of the mothers showed significant depressive symptoms, with the maternal role alteration reported as the most stressful experience, especially for young and new mothers (p < .001). The cumulative stressors experienced by infants were significantly associated with elevated maternal perception of psychological maladjustment (p < .001). CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that the NICU environment is stressful for both infants and mothers, with the total cumulative stressors experienced by preemies in the NICU having an negative impact on maternal mental health.