The psychological implications of having an infant in the NICU for mothers and fathers

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be emotionally distressing for parents who experience their infant being admitted into the NICU. The time spent in the NICU can cause psychological distress including stress, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of this contemporary issue is to highlight the ways the NICU experience can impact parents individually. The NICU experience impacts parents differently and the psychological manifestations are triggered by different aspects of the experience. Mothers struggle with the infant's health condition and the level of their ability to fulfill their expected duties as a mother. Whereas fathers struggle with their role as the financial supporter of the family, their responsibility to tend to any other household responsibilities, and finding a balance between work and supporting the family and infant in the NICU. It is critical to know why these differences exist and how they can be ameliorated individually for mothers and fathers.