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Home › Articles › Newborn Care › Not-So-Tiny Anxiety

Not-So-Tiny Anxiety

Overcoming the Fear of Caring
for Your Preemie

By Katherine Bontrager

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Bring on the Stress
"The birth of a premature infant is one of the most stressful events in a parent's life," says Joan R. Smith, a neonatal nurse practitioner at St. Louis Children's Hospital. "Parents of premature infants are often on an emotional rollercoaster during their stay in the NICU. The excitement of giving birth coupled with the uncertainty about their newborn infant's survival, the constant worry during the NICU experience and the potential challenges of assuming care-giving responsibilities for a recovering infant at home can be overwhelming."

Dr. Bryan Burke, an associate professor of general pediatrics and neonatology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Hospital, says that parents should realize that their fear is natural. "I think it's helpful for parents to realize that their fear, far from being an indication of their incompetence, is rather a sign of the love they have for their child and the good sense to know that they need to learn the best ways to care for their baby," he says.

Smith says parents can help alleviate fears of caring for a premature infant at home by becoming actively involved in their baby's care in the NICU. "Having a premature baby puts parents in a state of crisis and loss of control," she says. "It's easy for parents to step aside while the healthcare team assumes full responsibility of their baby's care. But studies have shown that parents of premature babies who become actively involved in their baby's care have more self confidence, decreased stress and anxiety and [their babies have] a decreased length of stay [in the hospital]."


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