Yoga in the NICU for parents (YIN): A pilot study on reducing stress in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
American journal of perinatology – June 06, 2025
Source: PubMed
Summary
Parents with babies in intensive care experienced significant stress reduction through a simple online yoga program. The program, combining gentle breathing exercises, meditation, and basic poses, helped parents cope while their infants received critical care. Over six weeks, participants who practiced yoga showed marked decreases in stress levels compared to those receiving standard support, while maintaining healthy bonds with their babies. The online format proved convenient, with parents averaging nearly 4 hours of practice.
Abstract
To explore the effect of a 6-week online program of yogic breathing, meditation, and gentle postures for parents of infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). From Oct 2021 to Oct 2023, we conducted a two-center pilot study of yoga for NICU parents. We assigned consented parents of NICU inpatients to receive yoga classes (YG) and/or usual care for parent support (UC) within 14 days of admission to the NICU. Self-directed yoga sessions were completed using an online platform. Usual care included parental support as practiced in each NICU and served as a control group. Primary outcomes were assessed at study entrance, midpoint and conclusion using the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU) and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) in English and Spanish. N=51 parents (71%) mothers were allocated using parallel assignment to UC (N=28, 55%) or YG (N=23, 45%). A total of N=39(76%) parents completed the classes to the midpoint of the study and N=33(65%) completed all 6-weeks of the study. There were no differences in baseline characteristics for parents or infants between groups. Average participation in the online yoga materials was 3hrs 45min per parent. A significant decrease in NICU related parent stress emerged for all PSS: NICU subscales and total PSS: NICU score for parents assigned to YG between enrollment and the midpoint of the study. Neither parents in UC nor YG approached thresholds indicating disorders of the parent-infant relationship as assessed by the postpartum bonding questionnaire. When initiated early, an online, asynchronous yoga intervention designed for parents may reduce NICU parent stress.