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Parental psychological well-being and cognitive development of very low birth weight infants at 2 years

Mira Huhtala1, Riikka Korja, Liisa Lehtonen

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland. mira.huhtala@utu.fi

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|July 27, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Parental psychological well-being impacts very low birth weight (VLBW) infant cognitive development. Paternal coping and maternal stress in accepting VLBW infants are key factors influencing cognitive outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Parental Mental Health

Background:

  • Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants face developmental challenges.
  • Parental psychological well-being is crucial for child development.
  • Understanding the link between parental factors and VLBW infant cognition is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate associations between parental psychological well-being and cognitive development in VLBW infants.
  • To identify specific parental factors that correlate with cognitive outcomes in VLBW children.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 182 VLBW infants followed up to 2 years corrected age.
  • Cognitive development assessed using the Bayley Scales Mental Development Index.
  • Parental psychological well-being measured via validated questionnaires (e.g., Beck Depression Inventory, Parenting Stress Index).

Main Results:

  • Infant cognitive delay associated with paternal depression and parenting stress.
  • Mothers of infants with cognitive delay reported higher parenting stress, particularly related to child acceptance.
  • Low sense of coherence predicted depressive symptoms in both parents.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal coping ability significantly correlates with VLBW infant cognitive development.
  • Fathers reported increased parenting stress when their VLBW infant had cognitive delays.
  • Maternal stress related to accepting a cognitively delayed VLBW infant was elevated.
Abstract

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