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Parent-infant closeness after preterm birth and depressive symptoms: A longitudinal study

Liisa Lehtonen1,2, Siri Lilliesköld3,4, Kris De Coen5

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.

Frontiers in Psychology
|October 14, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Early parent-infant closeness in the NICU did not reduce postpartum depression in parents of preterm infants. Further research is needed to identify other factors that alleviate parental depression after neonatal intensive care unit stays.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Parental mental health
  • Perinatal psychology

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for postpartum depression in both mothers and fathers.
  • Developing effective strategies to prevent and alleviate depressive symptoms in parents of preterm infants is crucial.
  • Early parent-infant closeness is explored as a potential protective factor against parental depression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the association between early parent-infant closeness and later depressive symptoms in parents of preterm infants.
  • To test the hypothesis that longer duration of closeness is linked to fewer depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study was conducted across 23 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in 15 countries.
  • Parental presence, skin-to-skin contact, and holding were measured using a Closeness Diary.
  • The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) assessed depressive symptoms at discharge and 4 months corrected age.

Main Results:

  • The study included 684 mothers and 574 fathers, with significant variation in parental presence between units.
  • No statistically significant association was found between the duration of parent-infant closeness and parental depressive symptoms at either time point.
  • Parental presence, skin-to-skin contact, and holding did not correlate with reduced depressive symptoms in mothers or fathers.

Conclusions:

  • The duration of parent-infant closeness in the NICU was not associated with reduced parental depressive symptoms.
  • The positive effects of family-centered care on parental depression may be mediated by factors other than physical closeness.
  • Further research is required to identify specific elements that effectively alleviate parental depression following NICU stays.
Abstract

Keywords:
neonatal intensive care unitparentingpostpartum depressionpreterm birthskin-to-skin contact

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