The Unrecognized Warzone: Addressing PTSD in NICU Parents

It is well known that returning soldiers often develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition marked by flashbacks to a trauma, hyperalertness, avoidance of situations that trigger upsetting memories, and negative emotions such as guilt or shame. However, fewer people know that parents commonly experience similar symptoms after their babies stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Having a premature, birth-injured, or sick baby can lead to extreme anxiety. Often, this feeling becomes associated with the NICU itself, rendering it a sort of warzone in which infants fight for their lives. Here, we’ll discuss the NICU environment and how parents may react to it, as well as what can be done to prevent/manage the symptoms of PTSD. What Makes the NICU So Stressful? “Kim Roscoe’s son, Jaxon, was born three months early, weighing two and a half pounds. But for nine days he did exceedingly well in the neonatal intensive care unit, and Ms. Roscoe…

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