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  • Title: Anxiety levels of mothers whose infants have been cared for in unit level-I of a neonatal intensive care unit in Turkey.
    Author: Erdem Y.
    Journal: J Clin Nurs; 2010 Jun; 19(11-12):1738-47. PubMed ID: 20579208.
    Abstract:
    AIM: In most cases, admission of an infant to the intensive care unit is unexpected and is stressful for their mothers. The aim of this study is to examine factors affecting anxiety level of mothers whose infant is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders figure among the most frequent psychiatric disorders in the population, and anxiety symptoms are among the most common. DESIGN: A descriptive correlational design. SETTING: Neonatal intensive care unit of Women's Health and Diseases, Education and Research Hospital in Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 151 women who had an infant in NICU. METHODS: A questionnaire form was used and included two instruments. The first measured characteristics of mothers and infants, and the second was the 'State-Trait Anxiety Inventory'. RESULTS: Of the mothers, 33.8% were between the ages 25-29, 41.7% of the subjects had a primary education, 89.4% were housewives, 64.9% had social security and 58.9% of subjects had low family incomes. Of the 151 subjects, 75.5% had planned their pregnancy, and 41.7% were primiparas. It was determined that maternal age, education, income; planned pregnancy, having complications of pregnancy, receiving antenatal care, type of labour, gestational age of the infant at birth, reasons for hospitalisation of the infant and birth weight did not affect maternal anxiety levels. Maternal anxiety was significantly (p < 0.05) related to the infants' gender and duration of hospitalisation, with statistically significant differences. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Anxiety in mothers was significantly higher if their infant was a boy. This finding can be a result of mother's cultural and religious values. A better understanding of the psychosocial aspects such as cultural values and norms affecting maternal and child health of the perinatal period will contribute to improved health care and better outcomes. Nurses will be better prepared to assist mothers of babies in the NICU to cope with the experience through exploration of these aspects of the mother, infant and experience.
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