ArticleEClinicalMedicine2022
Prevalence of anxiety and post-traumatic stress (PTS) among the parents of babies admitted to neonatal units: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
63 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 148 citations in OpenAlex.
- Factors associated with posttraumatic stress and anxiety among the parents of babies admitted to neonatal care: a systematic review.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Pooled it
- Musical and vocal interventions to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- "Short-term effects of a single kangaroo mother care session on urinary allantoin and maternal-infant bonding in preterm neonates: a quasi-randomized controlled trial".Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Evaluating a family-centered care intervention for reducing post-traumatic stress and aggression among parents of infants with congenital anomalies: a randomized controlled trial.BMC psychiatry · 2026Trial
- Effectiveness of a home-based, post-discharge early intervention program for very preterm infants in reducing parental stress: a randomized controlled trial.BMC public health · 2024Trial
- The effect of paternal anxiety on mother-infant bonding in neonatal intensive care.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Trial
- Life after the NICU: targeting modifiable factors to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born extremely preterm.Pediatric research · 2026Review
- Informed nondissent: an underutilized tool for the NICU context.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2026Review
- 'She's surrounded by everybody, but yet seen by nobody.' Parents' experiences and priorities for neonatal developmental follow-up care.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Resiliency factors relevant to NICU parents' emotional and relational health.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2026Article
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations for anti-racist, equity-focused NICU family mental health.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2026Review
- "NICU Doesn't Stop in the NICU": Maternal Perspectives of the Impact of a NICU Experience over Time.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Health-related quality of life and associated psychosocial and clinical factors among mothers whose neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units in Amhara Regional State Referral Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia: a multicenter study.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2026Article
- Article
- Key Components of Parenting Education Interventions for Preterm Infant-Parent Dyads Admitted to the NICU: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Factors associated with tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccination acceptance among pregnant women: a cross-sectional study.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Frequency of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and Postnatal Depression in Mothers Of Preterm Neonates Hospitalized in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Pakistan.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Postpartum Mental Health Problems in the Mothers of Very, Moderately and Late Preterm Infants During and After COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Comparison Study and Possible Risk Factors.Depression and anxiety · 2026Article
- Development and psychometric validation of the NICU parental agency scale: a multicenter cross-sectional study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- The lived experiences of South African parents during high-risk pregnancy and prolonged neonatal intensive care unit admission.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2026Article
3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundParents of babies admitted to neonatal units (NNU) are exposed to a range of potentially distressing experiences, which can lead to mental health symptoms such as increased anxiety and post-traumatic stress (PTS). This review aimed to describe how anxiety and PTS are defined and assessed, and to estimate anxiety and PTS prevalence among parents of babies admitted to NNU.
methodMedline, Embase, PsychoINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health literature were searched to identify studies published prior to April 14, 2021. Included studies were assessed using Hoy risk of bias tool. A random-effects model was used to estimate pooled prevalence with 95% CIs. Potential sources of variation were investigated using subgroup analyses and meta-regression. The review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020162935).
findingsFifty six studies involving 6,036 parents met the review criteria; 21 studies assessed anxiety, 35 assessed PTS, and 8 assessed both. The pooled prevalence of anxiety was 41.9% (95%CI:30.9, 53.0) and the pooled prevalence of PTS was 39.9% (95%CI:30.8, 48.9) among parents up to one month after the birth. Anxiety prevalence decreased to 26.3% (95%CI:10.1, 42.5) and PTS prevalence to 24.5% (95%CI:17.4, 31.6) between one month and one year after birth. More than one year after birth PTS prevalence remained high 27.1% (95%CI:20.7, 33.6). Data on anxiety at this time point were limited. There was high heterogeneity between studies and some evidence from subgroup and meta-regression analyses that study characteristics contributed to the variation in prevalence estimates.
interpretationThe prevalence of anxiety and PTS was high among parents of babies admitted to NNU. The rates declined over time, although they remained higher than population prevalence estimates for women in the perinatal period. Implementing routine screening would enable early diagnosis and effective intervention.
fundingThis research is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme, conducted through the Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care, PR-PRU-1217-21202. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
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