Table 2.

Mothers response as assessed by the Parental Stressor Scale:Neonatal Intensive Care Unit questionnaire (total respondents=73)

Questions	Stress score, mean±SD
Sights and sounds
Presence of monitors and equipment	2.37±0.94
Constant noise of monitors and equipment	2.55±0.83
Sudden loud noises of monitor alarms	2.56±0.88
Other sick babies in the room	2.85±0.97
Presence of nurses and doctors in NICU	2.82±0.81
Having a respiratory support for baby	2.47±1.85
Mean score	2.60±0.43
Looks and behavior
Needles and tubes being put on baby	3.39±1.05
Unusual color and appearance of baby	3.49±1.21
Baby being fed by tube or intravenous line	3.59±0.89
Baby activity and cry not like other babies in nursery	3.47±0.85
Seeing baby in pain	4.26±0.69
Baby looking sick	4.43±0.61
Mean score	3.47±0.31
Parental role alteration
Being separated from baby	4.18±0.69
Not being able to feed baby myself	4.37±0.59
Not being able to care for baby myself	4.42±0.62
Not being able to hold baby	4.47±0.56
Unable to protect baby from painful procedures	4.63±0.49
Feeling helpless about how to help or comfort baby	4.62±0.49
Not being able to spend time with baby alone on own	3.69±0.61
Mean score	3.94±0.24

SD – Standard deviation; NICU – Neonatal intensive care unit