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Adverse Birth Experiences and Parent Adjustment Associated With Atypical Genital Appearance Due to Differences of Sex

Katherine A Traino1, Rachel S Fisher1, Nathan L Basile1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Center for Pediatric Psychology, Oklahoma State University, USA.

Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|July 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Younger gestational age in infants with disorders of sex development (DSDs) is linked to increased parental distress, especially for mothers. Premature birth may exacerbate parental adjustment challenges following DSD diagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal psychology
  • Developmental pediatrics
  • Genetics and genomics

Background:

  • Disorders of Sex Development (DSDs) are rare congenital conditions diagnosed in infancy.
  • Parents of children with DSDs often experience significant psychological distress.
  • Understanding factors influencing parental adjustment is crucial for supportive care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between perinatal factors and parental adjustment trajectories in infants with DSDs.
  • To investigate how gestational age and delivery method impact parental depressive and anxious symptoms.
  • To explore differences in adjustment between mothers and fathers.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study with 64 parents (37 mothers, 27 fathers) completing symptom measures at baseline, 6, and 12 months.
  • Multilevel linear regression analysis to model symptom trajectories, controlling for data clustering.
  • Evaluation of interactions between perinatal factors and parent type (mother/father).

Main Results:

  • Parental depressive and anxious symptoms generally decreased over the 12-month follow-up period.
  • A significant interaction revealed younger gestational age more negatively impacted mothers' adjustment compared to fathers'.
  • Infants born at 36 weeks' gestation were associated with higher depressive symptom trajectories over time compared to those born at 38-40 weeks.

Conclusions:

  • Younger gestational age, indicating premature birth, is a significant risk factor for increased parental distress in DSD diagnoses, particularly for mothers.
  • Healthcare providers should consider the impact of perinatal factors when discussing DSD diagnoses and offering psychosocial support.
  • Tailored support addressing the unique challenges faced by parents of preterm infants with DSDs is warranted.
Abstract

Keywords:
disorders of sex developmentinfancy and early childhoodlongitudinal researchparent psychosocial functioningprematurity

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