During pregnancy, parents usually create the image of an ideal situation, at the end of which they will hold a healthy newborn in their arms. Although the rate of premature births is constantly increasing, few imagine and are prepared for the possibility of becoming parents of a premature newborn. Prematurity is often an unpleasant surprise for parents and the wider family environment.

Most of the 15,000,000 premature babies born worldwide each year survive because of advanced medical interventions. The parents of these newborns experience intense experiences, many times traumatic, during the entire period of hospitalization of the newborns in the Intensive Care Units. This fact has direct effects on thoughts, feelings and relationships, both with those around them and with their newborn.

“In ICU, the mental health of parents is significantly affected. The initial shock is followed by guilt. Parents often feel powerless and helpless trying to come to terms with their separation from the newborn. Their contact with the complicated machines, ventilators, monitors and the sight of the fragile little newborn in the incubator, fills them with anxiety, worry and fear” report the Mr. Mrs. Ioanna Karava supervisor, Ekaterini Zoi Michaelidis Midwife, MENN LETO both and they continue:

Ioanna Karava Aikaterini Zoi Michaelidis

“They manage conflicting emotions which are directly affected by the clinical condition of the newborn, the support provided by the environment and also their personal, fragile mental health. Special care is needed for mothers, who should be systematically monitored for postpartum depression, as the chances are higher compared to the general population. Initiating treatment, where deemed necessary, can limit potential adverse outcomes for mother and newborn.

The emotional experiences experienced by parents of premature newborns are inextricably linked to a specific thought: the hope that the newborn’s health is going well, without complications in the present or the future, and the anticipation for the day the newborn leaves the clinic. This thought should be continuously cultivated and reinforced by the medical and nursing staff of the ICU.

Studies have shown that the establishment of early intervention and management programs for parents of premature newborns, which are implemented at an early stage, combining systematic psychological support and emergency intervention at critical moments, significantly reduces the impact of post-traumatic stress on parents”, they emphasize.

“The PE environment plays a key role in the likelihood of parents developing an acute anxiety disorder. The moments of connection with the newborn prove to be of decisive importance for them, through which they will feel more active in their role as mother and father. Their participation in the daily care of the newborn in the first weeks of its life through specific procedures, such as the kangaroo method, breastfeeding and feeding the newborn, seems to significantly reduce the anxiety of the parents, while at the same time it strengthens the feeling of self-confidence, security and satisfaction in their new role.

When parents treat their premature newborn’s stay in the clinic as a necessary condition for his development, they more smoothly accept the new, demanding reality”, they conclude.

*”MENN is the second best hug for the newborn, creating the right conditions for his transition to the first and irreplaceable hug, that of his parents”, as characteristically points out the team of MENN LETO.