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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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Family functioning, burden and parenting stress 2 years after very preterm birth

Karli Treyvaud1, Lex W Doyle, Katherine J Lee

  • 1Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Victoria, Australia. karli.treyvaud@mcri.edu.au

Early Human Development
|April 19, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Families with very preterm children experience poorer family functioning. Parental mental health and child neurodevelopmental disability significantly impact family stress and burden in these families.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal Psychology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Family functioning after very preterm birth is under-researched.
  • Preterm birth can present unique challenges to family dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Compare family functioning, burden, and parenting stress in families with very preterm versus term-born children.
  • Investigate the impact of parental mental health and child neurodevelopmental disability on family outcomes in preterm populations.

Main Methods:

  • 184 very preterm and 71 term children and their parents participated.
  • Validated questionnaires assessed family functioning, parenting stress, and family burden at 2 years corrected age.
  • Parental mental health, social risk, and child neurodevelopmental disability were evaluated.

Main Results:

  • Families with very preterm children reported significantly poorer family functioning (p=.03).
  • Parenting stress and family burden showed less significant differences between very preterm and term-born groups.
  • Within the very preterm group, parental mental health issues correlated with higher parenting stress (p=.001), and child neurodevelopmental disability was linked to increased family burden (p=.04).

Conclusions:

  • Parental mental health symptoms and child neurodevelopmental disability are key risk factors for increased stress and burden in families with very preterm children.
  • These identified families may require targeted interventions and additional support services.
Abstract

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