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Published on: June 13, 2021
Effects of an intervention program on maternal and paternal parenting stress after preterm birth: A randomized trial
Sophie Castel1, Christian Creveuil2, Anne Beunard3
1CHU de Caen, Service de Néonatalogie, Avenue Côte de Nacre, Caen 14033, Cedex 9, France; EPSM Caen (Etablissement Public de Santé mentale), Service de Pédo-Psychiatrie, 15 ter rue Saint Ouen, 14000 Caen, France; CHU de Caen, Departement de Biostatistiques et de Recherche Clinique, Avenue Côte de Nacre, Caen, 14033, Cedex 9, France; Université de Caen Normandie, UFR de Médecine, PFRS, 2 rue des Rochambelles, CS 14032 Caen, France; Université de Caen Normandie, Departement de Psychologie, Esplanade de la paix, CS 14032 Caen, Cedex, France.
Insights
Triadic parent-infant Relationship Therapy (TRT) significantly reduced parenting stress and improved parental mental health. This intervention also enhanced preterm infant development, showing positive outcomes in motor, language, and social domains.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Family Therapy
Background:
- Preterm birth is associated with increased parenting stress and developmental risks for infants.
- Early psychological interventions are crucial for supporting families of preterm infants.
- Parental mental health and infant development are closely linked.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of Triadic parent-infant Relationship Therapy (TRT) on parenting stress.
- To assess TRT's impact on parental mental health in families with preterm infants.
- To determine TRT's influence on preterm infant development across multiple domains.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 65 families of preterm infants assigned to TRT or a control group.
- A comparison group of 24 families with full-term infants was included.
- Parenting stress was measured using the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF).
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in parenting stress were observed for both mothers and fathers in the TRT group.
- Infants in the TRT group showed higher developmental quotients and better behavioral scores compared to preterm controls.
- TRT intervention group outcomes were comparable to or better than those of full-term infants at 18 months corrected age.
Conclusions:
- TRT is an effective intervention for reducing parenting stress and enhancing parental mental health.
- The TRT program positively impacts overall preterm infant development.
- TRT offers a valuable approach to supporting families and improving outcomes for preterm infants.
Background:
Preterm birth causes parenting stress and increases the risk of developmental disorders in children. Our objective was to assess the impact of an early psychological intervention, Triadic parent-infant Relationship Therapy (TRT), on parenting stress, parental mental health and preterm infant development in the motor, language, social, behavioral and emotional domains at a corrected age of 18months.
Methods:
Sixty-five families of preterm infants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=33) or the control group (n=32). Families of full-term children (n=24) were also recruited. Intervention focused on the triadic relationship and aimed to improve parenting stress by supporting parental mental health to promote infant development. The main outcome was assessed with the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF).
Results:
Highly significant differences at 18months were observed for the mother and father in overall PSI-SF scores, with 16.6, and 11.7 points, respectively, in favor of the intervention group. Children in the intervention group demonstrated higher full-scale developmental quotients than the preterm controls (an 8.7-point difference) along with lower scores on behavioral tests (a 5.8-point difference at 18months). At 18months, results for children in the intervention group showed no significant differences compared to the full-term group or were even better.
Conclusions:
Our study provides sound evidence for the efficiency of the TRT program to reduce parenting stress and improve parental mental health for both parents, thus fostering the infant's overall development.
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Authoritative...