Abstract.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess stress in fathers of preterm infants and use of “Kangaroo Father Care (KFC)” to mitigate it.
STUDY DESIGN: Stress levels of 30 fathers of preterm infants admitted in the NICU were assessed using the parental stressor scale: neonatal intensive care unit (PSS: NICU) before and after three sessions of KFC. The data was analysed using Wilcoxon signed rank sum test.
RESULT: There was a statistically significant reduction in stress levels after KFC (p = 0.006). Amongst all the four subscales, stress levels were found to be reduced in ‘staff behaviour and communication’ (p = 0.001) domain and ‘baby looks and behaves’ domain (p = 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Fathers of preterm infants admitted in the NICU experience a lot of stress, which can adversely affect their mental health. Kangaroo care is very effective in reducing this paternal stress levels.