Impact of preterm birth on parental separation: a French population-based longitudinal study

Abstract

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate both the effects of low gestational age and infant’s neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age on the risk of parental separation within 7 years of giving birth.DesignProspective.Setting24 maternity clinics in the Pays-de-la-Loire region.ParticipantsThis study included 5732 infants delivered at <35 weeks of gestation born between 2005 and 2013 who were enrolled in the population-based Loire Infant Follow-up Team cohort and who had a neurodevelopmental evaluation at 2 years. This neurodevelopmental evaluation was based on a physical examination, a psychomotor evaluation and a parent-completed questionnaire.Outcome measureRisk of parental separation (parents living together or parents living separately).ResultsTen percent (572/5732) of the parents reported having undergone separation during the follow-up period. A mediation analysis showed that low gestational age had no direct effect on the risk of parental separation. Moreover, a non-optimal neurodevelopment at 2 years was associated with an increased risk of parental separation corresponding to a HR=1.49(1.23 to 1.80). Finally, the increased risk of parental separation was aggravated by low socioeconomic conditions.ConclusionsThe effect of low gestational age on the risk of parental separation was mediated by the infant’s neurodevelopment.

Management and outcomes of extreme preterm birth

“… 69 However, extreme preterm birth alone does not seem to have a direct impact on relationships; higher rates of relationship breakdown that occur among parents of surviving children seem to be related to poor neurodevelopmental outcomes of the child. 70 …”

Increased Risk of Parental Instability for Children Born Very Preterm and Impacts on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at Age 12

“…Extending on this work, a prospective population-based cohort study of 5732 preterm births (<35 weeks gestation) in France found that by age 7, 10% of parents with a preterm infant had separated. Child neurodevelopmental impairment at age 2 fully mediated associations between preterm birth and subsequent separation risk [24]. A further follow-up of 3300 of these children found that, independent of family socioeconomic status, preterm infants whose parents had separated by age 5 were more likely to be rated by their teachers on a global measure of school functioning as having more academic and behavioural difficulties in the classroom than those whose parents had not separated [25].…”