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The Mental Health Implications of Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injuries (OBPI) on Parents

Catherine Miller1, Karan Dua2, Nathan N O'Hara1

  • 1Department of Orthopaedics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Journal of Mother and Child
|November 22, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Mothers of newborns with obstetric brachial plexus injuries (OBPI) experience higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). OBPI clinics should integrate social workers for mental health screening and treatment of parents.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Parental Mental Health

Background:

  • Obstetric brachial plexus injuries (OBPI) present significant mental health challenges for parents.
  • Assessing parental mental health is crucial for comprehensive newborn care following OBPI.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the mental health status of mothers with newborns diagnosed with OBPI.
  • To identify effective resources for screening and managing parental mental health needs associated with OBPI.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective survey administered to three groups of mothers: OBPI newborns, non-OBPI nursery newborns, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) newborns.
  • Utilized demographic questions, PHQ-9 and PCL-S screening tools, and assessed exposure to community violence, family support, and substance use.

Main Results:

  • 30% of mothers with OBPI newborns screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • Mothers of OBPI newborns showed significantly higher PTSD symptom rates compared to mothers of full-term nursery infants (36.4% difference, p < 0.01).
  • No significant differences in depression symptoms were observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

  • OBPI poses considerable coping difficulties for parents and families.
  • 42% of mothers with OBPI or NICU infants screened positive for PTSD symptoms.
  • OBPI clinics should incorporate clinical social workers, mirroring NICU staffing, for parental PTSD and depression screening and treatment.
Abstract

Keywords:
NICUOBPIPTSDdepressionparents

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