Uncertainty and perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Single-center study limited to English-speaking parents, so results may not apply to other cultures or locations. Observational study of associations, not a tested intervention, so it cannot show that reducing uncertainty prevents PPTSD. The sample of fathers was too small to compare mothers and fathers. Parents of infants who died after enrollment were excluded from three-month collection, and missing data led to 245 final dyads and 239 model cases. A sensitivity analysis found differences in insurance, racial makeup, and education between the final group and the original group. Personal and family mental illness history was self-reported, not confirmed by clinical interview. Follow-up was only three months after discharge, so later resolution or persistence of symptoms was not measured. No clinically based anchor exists to tell whether differences in uncertainty scores are meaningful rather than statistically significant.

The supplied text does not include a conflicts-of-interest declaration; the metadata lists NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.

Do not conclude that helping parents reduce uncertainty will prevent perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder. This was an observational study of associations, not a tested intervention, and uncertainty during NICU hospitalization did not show a direct effect on screening positive.