key: cord-0992293-3dyv81v1
authors: Ashini, Aimen; Alsoufi, Ahmed; Elhadi, Muhammed
title: Parental perception of neonatal ICU visitation during the COVID‐19 pandemic
date: 2021-03-15
journal: Int J Gynaecol Obstet
DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.13650
sha: 2dbc68802e1ae4272c0aecd1be935dbc2fa40ae8
doc_id: 992293
cord_uid: 3dyv81v1

Actions and efforts to promote strategies, such as psychiatric teleconsultation or debriefing of parents who have their babies in neonatal intensive care units, are needed to mitigate psychological distress.

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced considerable challenges for neonatologists working in intensive care units due to the fear of disease transmission from infected infants to their mothers or from infected mothers to vulnerable neonates. Therefore, neonatal units have implemented several changes to their daily routines and de- Our study demonstrated a high prevalence of postpartum depression with possible minor/major depression in more than 85% of participants. Therefore, resolute actions and efforts to promote strategies, such as psychiatric teleconsultation or debriefing of parents, 3 providing psychological counseling through perinatal care workers, personal protective equipment during visits, and support for separated parents, are needed to mitigate psychological distress. Moreover, visitation policies during the pandemic are needed in hospitals to reduce the burden on healthcare workers and parents of women and neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units.

We would like to thank Ali Alsuyihili for his help in translation.

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

AAs, AAl, and ME contributed to the study conception and design, and material preparation. AAs and AAl participated in data collection. ME analyzed the data and prepared the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to and approved of the final version of the manuscript. 

Parental perceptions of the impact of neonatal unit visitation policies during COVID-19 pandemic

Detection of postnatal depression. Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science

COVID outbreak is changing our practices of perinatal psychiatry. Archives of Women's Mental Health