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The effect of paternal anxiety on mother-infant bonding in neonatal intensive care

Mark Ettenberger1,2,3, Łucja Bieleninik4,5,6, Andreas Størksen Stordal7,8

  • 1Music Therapy Service, Department of Social Management, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
|January 11, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Paternal anxiety did not impact maternal bonding in preterm infants. However, paternal anxiety levels varied by country, and maternal depression predicted paternal anxiety, suggesting a need for further research on parental mental health.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care
  • Parental mental health
  • Maternal-infant bonding

Background:

  • NICU hospitalization of preterm infants can negatively impact parental mental health.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding the influence of paternal anxiety on the maternal-infant relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between paternal anxiety and maternal bonding in the NICU setting.
  • To explore factors influencing paternal anxiety, including geographical site, maternal depression, and infant characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary analysis of the multinational LongSTEP randomized controlled trial dataset.
  • Prospective cohort study utilizing linear mixed-effects models.
  • Assessment of paternal anxiety (GAD-7) and maternal bonding (PBQ) at NICU discharge, and at 6 and 12 months corrected infant age.

Main Results:

  • Paternal anxiety did not significantly predict maternal bonding at any time point (discharge, 6 months, 12 months).
  • Significant variations in paternal anxiety were observed across study sites, particularly higher levels in Colombian sites.
  • Maternal depression was a significant predictor of paternal anxiety at baseline and NICU discharge.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal anxiety does not appear to directly influence maternal bonding with preterm infants.
  • Cultural factors may play a role in the manifestation of paternal anxiety, necessitating further investigation.
  • The correlation between maternal depression and paternal anxiety highlights the interconnectedness of parental mental health in the NICU context.
Abstract

Keywords:
AnxietyDepressionFathersMental healthMothersNeonatal intensive care unit (NICU)

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