Dr. Maristella Lucchini, Shambhavi Thakur, and Dr. Natalie Barnett
Abstract
Introduction
The emergence of a tripledemic, characterized by the simultaneous circulation of influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), has posed a significant public health challenge in the last 4 years. For families, the concurrent presence of these viral threats has created unprecedented stress, amplifying the burden of caregiving, economic instability, and health-related concerns. Nonetheless, there have been few studies quantifying the impact of this tripledemic on parental mental health and work-life balance. Understanding these impacts is essential for developing targeted interventions to support families through ongoing and future health crises.
Methods
898 families with infants 0-24 months, who were Nanit users were recruited for this study in November 2022. Parents completed surveys reporting whether their infant had been sick with COVID-19, RSV or the flu. In addition, parents reported how stressful the sickness of their child was and how they managed to care for their child if they had a job (paid sick leave, paid vacation days, parental leave, work remotely, unpaid leave). Finally, they reported on their mental and sleep health.
Results
16% of parents reported their child having RSV in the last month.
3.11% of parents reported their child having Flu in the last month.
4.12% of parents reported their child having Covid in the last month.
1.3% of parents reported their child having a combination of at least two of three illnesses.
Impact of sickness on child sleep
39.3% of the parents reported that their sick child had trouble falling asleep at the beginning of the night. 45% of parents reported that it took one week or more for their child’s sleep to get back to normal after being sick, which might suggest a prolonged strain on the parents. 
Impact of sickess on parents’ work and gender differences
23% of parents reported that a sick child was taken care of by just the mother. On average, parents’ work was affected 4 +- 2.5 days a month when their child was sick. Out of 155 parents whose children were sick in the past month:
- 51.85% of parents took a combination of paid leave, parental leave or vacation days
- 12.76% of parents took unpaid leave
- 23.87% of parents worked remotely
- 11.52% of parents had a combination of different types of leaves
- Women were more likely to take unpaid leave or work remote than men
- Men were more likely to take paid leave than women
Conclusion
Our findings support the hypothesis that families impacted by the tripledemic experienced severe disruptions in work-life balance, heightened stress about their child’s health and increased symptoms of depression. This supports the need for actionable solutions to reduce these negative effects.
About the Researchers
The researchers included Maristella Lucchini, Shambhavi Thakur, and Natalie Barnett
- Dr. Maristella Lucchini serves as Senior Clinical Researcher at Nanit. In her role, Maristella works to secure grant funding in collaboration with Nanit’s university research partners and supports the development of the company’s research collaborations around the world. Previously, Maristella served as an Assistant Research Scientist in the Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center where she led projects across several cohorts focusing on sleep health for pregnant and postpartum women and their children. Maristella’s research focused on underserved communities and sleep health disparities in the perinatal period. During her years as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Department of Psychiatry, Maristella was selected to participate in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Young Investigator Research Forum. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano.
- Shambhavi Thakur serves as Clinical Research Data Analyst at Nanit. She holds a Masters degree in Health Informatics and Life Sciences. She oversees the research collaborations with various universities and analyzes sleep data for internal as well as external studies.
- Dr. Natalie Barnett serves as VP of Clinical Research at Nanit. Natalie initiated sleep research collaborations at Nanit and in her current role, Natalie oversees collaborations with researchers at hospitals and universities around the world who use the Nanit camera to better understand pediatric sleep and leads the internal sleep and development research programs at Nanit. Natalie holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of New England in Australia and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Sleep Science from the University of Western Australia. Natalie was an Assistant Professor in the Neurogenetics Unit at NYU School of Medicine prior to joining Nanit. Natalie is also the voice of Nanit's science-backed, personalized sleep tips delivered to users throughout their baby's first few years.
-